cruiser
pronunciation
How to pronounce cruiser in British English:
UK [ˈkru:zə(r)]
How to pronounce cruiser in American English:
US [ˈkruzɚ]
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- Noun:
- a car in which policemen cruise the streets; equipped with radiotelephonic communications to headquarters
- a large fast warship; smaller than a battleship and larger than a destroyer
- a large motorboat that has a cabin and plumbing and other conveniences necessary for living on board
Word Origin
- cruiser (n.)
- 1670s, agent noun from cruise (v.), or, probably, borrowed from similar words in neighboring languages (such as Dutch kruiser, French croiseur), originally a warship built to cruise and protect commerce or chase hostile ships (but in 18c. often applied to privateers). Like the frigate of olden days the cruiser relies primarily on her speed; and is employed to protect the trade-routes, to glean intelligence, and to act as the 'eyes of the fleet'. [Sir Geoffrey Callender, "Sea Passages," 1943] Meaning "one who cruises for sex partners" is from 1903, in later use mostly of homosexuals; as a boxing weight class, from 1920; meaning "police patrol car" is 1929, American English.
Example
- 1. I was taught to drive in an old land cruiser there .
- 2. A rookie police officer was out for his first ride in a cruiser with an experienced partner .
- 3. He wants to cancel the navy 's new cruiser and halt plans to replace its ep-3 intelligence aircraft .
- 4. Today , at 44 , he travels around wuqi in a government-issued white toyota land cruiser , frequently checking e-mail on his coolpad smartphone .
- 5. One chinese analyst referenced in chinese aerospace power estimated it would take between 150 and 200 su-27-class fighters to destroy one u.s. ticonderoga-class cruiser .