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torpedo boat

American  

noun

  1. a small, fast, highly maneuverable boat used for torpedoing enemy shipping.


torpedo boat British  

noun

  1. (formerly) a small high-speed warship designed to carry out torpedo attacks in coastal waters

"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 torpedo boat

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10

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.

See Examples For:

U-557 was rammed in error by the Italian torpedo boat Orione, west of Crete, and was sunk with all hands.”

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 7, 2025

Navy planes to bomb North Vietnamese torpedo boat bases and called on Congress to authorize the use of force.

From Salon Sep. 7, 2025

George Chandler, 99, served aboard a British motor torpedo boat as part of a flotilla that escorted the U.S.

From Seattle Times Jun. 4, 2024

It said the vague outline could be made out on the radar scans as well as a second object, possibly a German torpedo boat, longer but more narrow.

From BBC Jun. 30, 2023

After a brief mention of the building, he turned to the action in Vietnam, emphasizing that the air strikes had been made necessary by the North Vietnamese torpedo boat attacks.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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