fire ship

American  

noun

1. a vessel loaded with combustibles and explosives, ignited, and set adrift to destroy an enemy's ships or constructions.

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fire ship British  

noun

1. a vessel loaded with explosives and used, esp formerly, as a bomb by igniting it and directing it to drift among an enemy's warships

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Etymology

Origin of fire ship

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fire ship

Somers died when the fire ship he commanded exploded in Tripoli Harbor.

From Washington Times ● May 27, 2017

"Then go along, Jack; and mind don't you go blazing away like a fire ship, and letting everybody know what's going on, or it'll be stopped."

From Varney the Vampire Or the Feast of Blood by Prest, Thomas Preskett

The mast of the third fire ship fell into their ship on fire, and hurt Harman's leg, which makes him lame now, but not dangerous.

From The Diary of Samuel Pepys by Braybrooke, Richard Griffin, Baron

On the following night July 28th, the French tried to destroy the British fleet by a fire ship.

From A Canadian Manor and Its Seigneurs The Story of a Hundred Years, 1761-1861 by Wrong, George McKinnon

He placed one of these in command of each fire ship, and gave him four of the sailors.

From A Knight of the White Cross : a tale of the siege of Rhodes by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)