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steamship

American  
[steem-ship] / ˈstimˌʃɪp /

noun

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


steamship British  
/ ˈstiːmˌʃɪp /

noun

  1. a ship powered by one or more steam engines

"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

Etymology

Origin of steamship

First recorded in 1780–90; steam + ship 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And for the first time in history, enormous steamships regularly crossing the world’s oceans outnumbered vessels propelled by sail.

From Literature

He celebrated the wave of innovations that had enriched human existence—railroads, steamships, telegraphs, telephones, electric lights, anesthetics, antiseptics.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Britannic was the third of the White Star Line company's Olympic class of steamships, along with the RMS Titanic and RMS Olympic.

From BBC

The next morning, some 300 Chinese people were marched to the wharf and loaded onto steamships.

From Los Angeles Times

The plague was introduced to the U.S. in the early 20th century from rat-infested steamships arriving in California from Asia, with the first case identified in the San Francisco area, Swartzberg said.

From Los Angeles Times