ship of the line

noun phrase

: a large warship
specifically : a square-rigged warship having at least two gun decks and designed to be positioned for battle in a line with other such ships

Examples of ship of the line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Back in 2017, their first ship of the line arrived in the form of The Play That Goes Wrong, a Noises Off–style farce based around performers messing up a fictional hoary stage play. Vulture, 19 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ship of the line was in 1706

Dictionary Entries Near ship of the line

Cite this Entry

“Ship of the line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ship%20of%20the%20line. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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