ship

[ ship ]

/ ʃɪp /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR ship ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a vessel, especially a large oceangoing one propelled by sails or engines.

Nautical.

a sailing vessel square-rigged on all of three or more masts, having jibs, staysails, and a spanker on the aftermost mast.
Now Rare. a bark having more than three masts.Compare shipentine.

the crew and, sometimes, the passengers of a vessel: The captain gave the ship shore leave.

an airship, airplane, or spacecraft.

verb (used with object), shipped, ship·ping.

to put or take on board a ship or other means of transportation; to send or transport by ship, rail, truck, plane, etc.

Nautical. to take in (water) over the side, as a vessel does when waves break over it.

to bring (an object) into a ship or boat.

to engage (someone) for service on a ship.

to fix in a ship or boat in the proper place for use.

to place (an oar) in proper position for rowing.Compare boat(def 10).

to send away: They shipped the kids off to camp for the summer.

verb (used without object), shipped, ship·ping.

to go on board or travel by ship; embark.

to engage to serve on a ship.

Verb Phrases

ship out,

to leave, especially for another country or assignment: He said goodby to his family and shipped out for the West Indies.
to send away, especially to another country or assignment.
Informal. to quit, resign, or be fired from a job: Shape up or ship out!

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?

Question 1 of 10

decorum

the act of or need for making up one's mind.

dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for ship

jump ship,

to escape from a ship, especially one in foreign waters or a foreign port, as to avoid further service as a sailor or to request political asylum.
to withdraw support or membership from a group, organization, cause, etc.; defect or desert: Some of the more liberal members have jumped ship.

run a tight ship, to exercise a close, strict control over a ship's crew, a company, organization, or the like.

when one's ship comes in/home, when one's fortune is assured: She'll buy a car as soon as her ship comes in.

Origin of ship

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English scip; cognate with Dutch schip, German Schiff, Old Norse, Gothic skip; (v.) Middle English s(c)hip(p)en, derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM ship

ship·less, adjectiveship·less·ly, adverbmis·ship, verb, mis·shipped, mis·ship·ping.pre·ship, verb (used with object), pre·shipped, pre·ship·ping.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ship

barge boat canoe cruise ship sailboat ship yacht

Words nearby ship

shinny, shinplaster, shinto, shinty, shiny, ship, ship biscuit, ship canal, ship chandler, ship decanter, ship money

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for ship out (1 of 2)

ship out

verb

(adverb) to depart or cause to depart by shipwe shipped out at dawn; they shipped out the new recruits

British Dictionary definitions for ship out (2 of 2)

ship

/ (ʃɪp) /

noun

a vessel propelled by engines or sails for navigating on the water, esp a large vessel that cannot be carried aboard another, as distinguished from a boat

nautical a large sailing vessel with three or more square-rigged masts

the crew of a ship

short for airship, spaceship

informal any vehicle or conveyance

when one's ship comes in when one has become successful or wealthy

verb ships, shipping or shipped

to place, transport, or travel on any conveyance, esp aboard a shipship the microscopes by aeroplane; can we ship tomorrow?

(tr) nautical to take (water) over the side

to bring or go aboard a vesselto ship oars

(tr often foll by off) informal to send away, often in order to be rid ofthey shipped the children off to boarding school

(intr) to engage to serve aboard a shipI shipped aboard a Liverpool liner

informal (tr) to concede (a goal)Celtic have shipped eight goals in three away matches

Derived forms of ship

shippable, adjective

Word Origin for ship

Old English scip; related to Old Norse skip, Old High German skif ship, scipfī cup

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

Idioms and Phrases with ship out (1 of 2)

ship out

Leave, especially for a distant place, as in The transport planes carried troops shipping out to the Mediterranean. Although this usage originally meant “depart by ship,” the expression is no longer limited to that mode of travel. [c. 1900]

Send, export, especially to a distant place, as in The factory shipped out many more orders last month. [Mid-1600s]

Quit a job or be fired; see shape up, def. 3.

Idioms and Phrases with ship out (2 of 2)

ship

In addition to the idioms beginning with ship

ship of state
ship out
ships that pass in the night

also see:

desert a sinking ship
enough to sink a ship
shape up (or ship out)
tight ship
when one's ship comes in

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ship

noun

verb (used with object), shipped, ship·ping.