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paravane

[ par-uh-veyn ]
/ ˈpær əˌveɪn /
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noun
an underwater defensive device against mines, consisting of a pair of torpedo-shaped vanes towed at the bow of a ship, usually a minesweeper, by cables that can cut the cable of a moored mine, causing the mine to rise to the surface, where it can be destroyed or removed from the water.
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Origin of paravane

First recorded in 1915–20; para-1 + vane

Words nearby paravane

paratype, paratyphoid, paratyphoid fever, paraurethral gland, paravail, paravane, paravent, paravidya, par avion, parawing, paraxial
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use paravane in a sentence

  • A careful study of Fig. 30 will show how this is prevented by the deflecting wires of the paravane.

    Submarine Warfare of To-day|Charles W. Domville-Fife

  • In some forms of paravane there is a hinged jaw which is operated from the ship to shear the cable.

    Inventions of the Great War|A. Russell (Alexander Russell) Bond

  • The mine cable slides along the paravane cable and in this way is carried clear of the ship's hull.

    Inventions of the Great War|A. Russell (Alexander Russell) Bond

British Dictionary definitions for paravane

paravane
/ (ˈpærəˌveɪn) /
noun
a torpedo-shaped device towed from the bow of a vessel so that the cables will cut the anchors of any moored mines

Word Origin for paravane

C20: from para- ² + vane
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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