Q-ship

American

[kyoo-ship] / ˈkyuˌʃɪp /

noun

an armed combat ship disguised as a merchant vessel to attract submarines within attack range.

Q-ship British

noun

a merchant ship with concealed guns, used to decoy enemy ships into the range of its weapons

"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

Etymology

Origin of Q-ship

First recorded in 1915–20; Q, being a naval classification

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 1942, Hemingway turned the Pilar into just such an impromptu Q-ship.

From Time Magazine Archive

Often he is of the 'Q-ship' branch, and can enliven his lectures with incidents that show us a side of the sea-contest with which not many are familiar.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023