ship of the line

American  

noun

1. a former sailing warship armed powerfully enough to serve in the line of battle, usually having cannons ranged along two or more decks; battleship.

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ship of the line British  

noun

1. nautical (formerly) a warship large enough to fight in the first line of battle

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Etymology

Origin of ship of the line

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

Laid down as a last-word, 86-gun ship of the line, she was held up by several stingy Congresses.

From Time Magazine Archive

Majestic as a ship of the line, Dramatic Soprano Eileen Parrel I, 47, cruised through an aria from La Gioconda as she neared the end of a concert at Atlanta's Municipal Auditorium.

From Time Magazine Archive

A few days later, Sir Horatio, flying a commodore's pendant, was beat ing up the Channel in the 900-man ship of the line Nonsuch, followed by two sloops, two bomb-ketches and a cutter.

From Time Magazine Archive

It is also fully aware of the ironies�the sheer comic puzzlement�implicit in a confrontation between a modern ship of the line and antiques that are a mere four decades old.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Brazilian fleet, then commanded by the celebrated Lord Cochrane, consisted of one ship of the line, two frigates, three brigs, and some smaller vessels.

From A New Voyage Round the World in the Years 1823, 24, 25, and 26. Vol. 1 by Kotzebue, Otto von