torpedo boat

noun

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

Origin of torpedo boat

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10

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

Examples from the Web for torpedo boat

The German Admiral claims29 that the action of the torpedo-boat flotillas had achieved its purpose.
A True Account of the Battle of Jutland, May 31, 1916|Thomas Goddard Frothingham
We had them once a week, and torpedo-boat skirmishes on off days.
A Padre in France|George A. Birmingham
All the officers and men were saved, being picked out of the water by the Turkish torpedo-boat after "A E 2" had sunk.
The Story of Our Submarines|John Graham Bower
Then we cut across the Solent towards Southsea, watching the weird evolutions of a 35-knot torpedo-boat.
The Relief of Mafeking|Filson Young

The fleet consisted of seven battleships, two armoured cruisers, and some protected cruisers and torpedo-boat destroyers.
Famous Sea Fights|John Richard Hale

British Dictionary definitions for torpedo boat

torpedo boat

noun

(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

torpedo boat

noun

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Origin of torpedo boat

Examples from the Web for torpedo boat

torpedo boat

noun