steamship

American  

[steem-ship] / ˈstimˌʃɪp /

noun

1. a large commercial vessel, especially one driven by steam.

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steamship British  

/ ˈstiːmˌʃɪp /

noun

1. a ship powered by one or more steam engines

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Etymology

Origin of steamship

First recorded in 1780–90; steam + ship ¹

Example Sentences

In 1878, he accepted a position as an engineer aboard the Ironsides, a British steamship.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

The item, which goes under the hammer in Penshurst later this month, was awarded to the engineer of a steamship responsible for saving more than 700 of the stricken ocean liner's passengers in April 1912.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

The growing effects of the Great Depression left many countries unable to afford the long, slow steamship trip to South America.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

From 1815 to 1914, London presided over an expanding global system marked by industry, capital exports and colonial conquests, all spurred by the integration of the planet via railroad, steamship, telegraph and ultimately radio.

From Salon • Sep. 20, 2024

Someone who was not a dog or a clairvoyant told the police the painting was on the steamship La Champagne, headed for South America.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day