argosy

noun

ar·​go·​sy ˈär-gə-sē 

plural argosies

1

: a large ship

especially : a large merchant ship

three of your argosies are … come to harbor

—William Shakespeare

2

: a fleet of ships

3

: a rich supply

an argosy of railway folklore

—F. P. Donovan

Did you know?

Looking at the first sense of "argosy," you might assume that this word is a close relative of "argonaut," but that isn't the case. Although both words have a nautical sense, they have different etymologies. The original argonauts sailed on a ship called the Argo to seek the Golden Fleece; their moniker combines the name of their ship and the Greek word nautēs, meaning "sailor." "Argosy" comes from "Ragusa," the Italian name for the city that is now Dubrovnik, Croatia. Over time, "Ragusa" was modified into "ragusea," a noun for the laden merchant ships that sailed from that port in medieval days. A broadening of meaning and another shift in spelling gave us "argosy," denoting any merchant vessel or rich store.

Synonyms

• cornucopia
• gold mine
• mine
• mother lode
• treasure trove
• wellspring

Examples of argosy in a Sentence

a book that is an argosy of stories and legends about the golden age of Hollywood

Word History

Etymology

modification of Italian ragusea Ragusan vessel, from Ragusa, Dalmatia (now Dubrovnik, Croatia)

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

argosy

noun

ar·​go·​sy ˈär-gə-sē 

plural argosies

: a large merchant ship