slipway

American  

[slip-wey] / ˈslɪpˌweɪ /

noun

Nautical.

1. (in a shipyard) the area sloping toward the water, on which the ways are located.

2. marine railway.

3. a ramp on a factory ship for hauling aboard carcasses of whales for processing.

---

slipway British  

/ ˈslɪpˌweɪ /

noun

1. the sloping area in a shipyard, containing the ways

2. Also called: marine railway.  the ways on which a vessel is launched

3. the ramp of a whaling factory ship

4. a pillowcase; pillowslip

---

Etymology

Origin of slipway

First recorded in 1830–40; slip ¹ + way ¹

Example Sentences

That evening their car slid down the slipway of a pier and into Lough Swilly.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

A slipway from the 18th Century where ships for Lord Nelson's fleet were built and launched has been excavated by archaeologists.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2025

Buckler's Hard, the small hamlet in the New Forest where the slipway is located, was once home to one of the busiest private shipyards of the 1700s.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2025

Around the same time, the third team launched from the Teal Park slipway near Auckland’s container terminal.

From Slate • Jul. 22, 2025

You started a marble off at the top, and it rolled round and round, down the slipway on the outside, until it got to the bottom, and then dropped into a chute.

From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill