ship

[ ship ]

/ ʃɪp /

SEE MORE 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!

RELATED WORDS

delivered, transported, sent, expressed

Nearby words

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

Idioms

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

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

Can be confusedbarge boat canoe cruise ship sailboat ship yacht

Definition for shipped (2 of 2)

ship

[ ship ]

/ ʃɪp /

Slang.

noun

a romantic relationship between fictional characters, especially one that people discuss, write about, or take an interest in, whether or not the romance actually exists in the original book, show, etc.: popular ships in fan fiction.

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

to discuss, write about, or take an interest in a romantic relationship between (fictional characters): I'm shipping for those guys—they would make a great couple!

Origin of ship

First recorded in 1995–2000; shortening of relationship

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shipped

When Lewis was shipped off to Vietnam, his son was just three months old, and the timing of the assignment worried Lewis.
A West Point MVP Who Never Played a Down|Nicolaus Mills|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was then shipped to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, and sold for 50 cents on the dollar.
The Flying Sorcery of Dr. Strange: Benedict Cumberbatch Is Marvel's Most Bizarre Magician|Rich Goldstein|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This powder can be shipped anywhere and then reconstituted—just add water, as if it were instant coffee.
Powdered Measles Vaccine Could Be Huge for Developing World|Kent Sepkowitz|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At break time, the entire assembly line would run over to play the machines that were ready to be shipped out.
‘Asteroids’ & The Dawn of the Gamer Age|David Owen|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The remains were shipped to Fiji just as the war was about to sweep the region.
How Amelia's Plane Was Found|Michael Daly|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile enough machinery and other equipment was being prepared and shipped from Canada to afford employment to 10,000 men.
The Story of the Great War, Volume VIII (of VIII)|various
However there was no help for it; you have to go with those with whom197 you are shipped.
Journal of Jasper Danckaerts, 1679-1680|Jasper Danckaerts
He shipped with the fishing boats in the summer and cruised with any vagrant craft for the winter.
Heralds of Empire|Agnes C. Laut
The useless part of the population—the infirm and the aged—had for the most part been shipped off to Sicily.
History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain.|William H. Prescott
Your father got a berth as third mate, for he was the best scholar, and I shipped as boatswain.
Michael Penguyne|William H. G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for shipped

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

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

Word Origin and History for shipped (1 of 2)

ship

Old English scip "ship, boat," from Proto-Germanic *skipam (cf. Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Gothic skip, Danish skib, Swedish skepp, Middle Dutch scip, Dutch schip, Old High German skif, German Schiff), "Germanic noun of obscure origin" [Watkins]. Others suggest perhaps originally "tree cut out or hollowed out," and derive it from PIE root *skei- "to cut, split."

Now a vessel of considerable size, adapted to navigation; the Old English word was used for small craft as well, and definitions changed over time; in 19c., distinct from a boat in having a bowsprit and three masts, each with a lower, top, and topgallant mast. French esquif, Italian schifo are Germanic loan-words.

Phrase ships that pass in the night is from Longfellow's poem "Elizabeth" in "Tales of a Wayside Inn" (1863). Figurative use of nautical runs a tight ship (i.e., one that does not leak) is attested from 1965.

Word Origin and History for shipped (1 of 2)

ship

c.1300, "to send or transport (merchandise, people) by ship; to board a ship; to travel by ship, sail, set sail," also figurative, from ship (n.). Old English scipian is attested only in the senses "take ship, embark; be furnished with a ship." Transferred to other means of conveyance (railroad, etc.) from 1857, originally American English. Related: Shipped; shipping.

Idioms and Phrases with shipped

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

ship

noun

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

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

Verb Phrases

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of ship

Definition for shipped (2 of 2)

ship

noun

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

Origin of ship

Examples from the Web for shipped

British Dictionary definitions for shipped

ship

noun

verb ships, shipping or shipped

Word Origin for ship

Word Origin and History for shipped (1 of 2)

ship

Word Origin and History for shipped (1 of 2)

ship

Idioms and Phrases with shipped

ship