ship
pronunciation
How to pronounce ship in British English:
UK [ʃɪp]
How to pronounce ship in American English:
US [ʃɪp]
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- Noun:
- a vessel that carries passengers or freight
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- Verb:
- transport commercially
- hire for work on a ship
- go on board
- travel by ship
- place on board a ship
Word Origin
- ship
- ship: [OE] Ship comes from a prehistoric Germanic *skipam, which also produced German schiff, Dutch schip, Swedish skepp, and Danish skib. It is not known for certain where this came from, although a link has been suggested with Latvian shkibīt ‘cut, hew’, in which case the underlying meaning of ship could be ‘hollowed-out log’ – a ‘dugout’, in other words.The Old High German form schif was borrowed into Italian as schifo, and this made its way via French esquif into English as skiff [16]. The Middle Dutch form schip had a derivative schipper ‘captain of a small ship’, which has given English skipper [14]. And equip too comes from a relative of English ship.=> equip, skiff, skipper
- ship (n.)
- Old English scip "ship, boat," from Proto-Germanic *skipam (cognates: Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Gothic skip, Danish skib, Swedish skepp, Middle Dutch scip, Dutch schip, Old High German skif, German Schiff), "Germanic noun of obscure origin" [Watkins]. Others suggest perhaps originally "tree cut out or hollowed out," and derive it from PIE root *skei- "to cut, split." Now a vessel of considerable size, adapted to navigation; the Old English word was used for small craft as well, and definitions changed over time; in 19c., distinct from a boat in having a bowsprit and three masts, each with a lower, top, and topgallant mast. French esquif, Italian schifo are Germanic loan-words. Phrase ships that pass in the night is from Longfellow's poem "Elizabeth" in "Tales of a Wayside Inn" (1863). Figurative use of nautical runs a tight ship (i.e., one that does not leak) is attested from 1965.
- ship (v.)
- c. 1300, "to send or transport (merchandise, people) by ship; to board a ship; to travel by ship, sail, set sail," also figurative, from ship (n.). Old English scipian is attested only in the senses "take ship, embark; be furnished with a ship." Transferred to other means of conveyance (railroad, etc.) from 1857, originally American English. Related: Shipped; shipping.
Example
- 1. Once a ship passed by the island .
- 2. I never forgot that ship or what my father said .
- 3. The lead ship was deployed to fight pirates near somalia .
- 4. Hal then begins to kill the crew and take over the ship .
- 5. Contracts will go to whomever can ship the largest volume at the lowest price .