plural ships
often attributive
1
a
: a large seagoing vessel
b
: a sailing vessel having a bowsprit and usually three masts each composed of a lower mast, a topmast, and a topgallant mast
2
: boat
especially
: one propelled by power or sail
3
: a ship's crew
4
: fortune sense 2
when their ship comes in they'll be able to live in better style
5
see also take ship
shipped; shipping; ships
1
a
: to place or receive on board a ship for transportation by water
b
: to cause to be transported
shipped him off to prep school
2
obsolete
: to provide with a ship
3
: to put in place for use
ship the tiller
4
: to take into a ship or boat
ship the gangplank
5
: to engage for service on a ship
6
: to take (water) over the side
—used of a boat or a ship
1
: to embark on a ship
2
a
: to go or travel by ship
—often used with out
b
: to proceed by ship or other means under military orders
—often used with out
3
: to engage to serve on shipboard
4
: to be sent for delivery
the order will ship soon
shipped; shipping; ships
informal
: to wishfully regard (specific people or fictional characters) as being or having the potential to become romantically involved with one another
Naturally, their followers gushed … and started shipping them all over again. "Please be back together," one user commented …—
Alyssa Morin
Alyssa MorinThe Office's on-and-off pairing remained so tantalizingly close after the series wrapped in 2013 that even [Mindy] Kaling gets why people are still shipping them.—Sarah Grossbart
Sarah GrossbartSean Astin, who portrayed Bob Newby, the love interest of Ryder's character, Joyce Byers, in season 2, told Us Weekly exclusively earlier this month that he hopes Jim and Joyce will end up together. "I've shipped them since the beginning," the 49-year-old declared.—Samantha Leffler
Samantha LefflerOne close friendship does develop between two girls, and while fans of other Dreamworks shows like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power may start shipping them, budding romance at this point is only wishful thinking.—Alana Joli Abbott
Alana Joli AbbottHow does one even begin to write about Anne and Diana? … Megan Followes herself ships them.—Danny M. Lavery
Danny M. Lavery1
: state : condition : quality
friendship
2
: office : dignity : profession
clerkship
3
: art : skill
horsemanship
4
: something showing, exhibiting, or embodying a quality or state
township
fellowship
5
: one entitled to a (specified) rank, title, or appellation
his Lordship
6
: the body of persons participating in a specified activity
readership
listenership
Synonyms
Examples of ship in a Sentence
Noun
the captain of the ship
He will travel by ship.
Verb (1)
The goods were shipped from a foreign port.
Your order is expected to ship soon.
The company will ship its new software next month.
The software will ship next month.
The soldiers were shipped overseas for duty.
When the waves increased, the boat began shipping water.
Recent Examples on the WebBrad Lendon, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
The poster for the tour features Missy, Busta and Ciara dressed in Mad Max-style futuristic leather outfits standing in front of a giant space ship.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2024
National security analysts are drawing up battle scenarios for a possible war between the U.S. and China over Taiwan, counting up the ships, missiles and bombs on either side.
—Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
The body of a third construction worker killed when the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed last week after it was struck by a cargo ship was recovered Friday, officials said.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 6 Apr. 2024
To recover the sub, without the Soviets knowing, the U.S. needed a new deep sea ship.
—Kathryn Fink, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
Attorneys for the companies that own and manage the ship have asked a judge in federal court to excuse them from any liability for the disaster or cap damages at $43 million.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
The construction workers were on break at the time of the collapse and had been sitting in their trucks to warm up when the ship smashed into the bridge.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024
Those tugboats left the cargo ship around 1:09 a.m.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024
Matthew Brown, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2024
Montana's Supreme Court ruled in a separate case that BNSF and its predecessors were more involved in the mine than simply shipping its product.
—Matthew Brown and Amy Beth Hanson, Quartz, 7 Apr. 2024
These will be shipped to a cryobank at ZooParc de Beauval in France.
—Matjaž Krivic, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
Goods will be frozen and shipped from Seattle on an air cargo plane.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 5 Apr. 2024
While the moment was unexpected, viewers have long shipped the known to be straight Buck with his best friend, Eddie (Ryan Guzman).
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Related article Aid is being shipped to Gaza by sea.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The more specific, the better as ‘manufactured in the US’ might mean that the hemp is grown in China then shipped over.
—Chrono Therapeutics, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The firm has delegated several universities to conduct independent analysis, the spokesperson said, adding the batch in question may have been manufactured between April and October last year and shipped between April and December.
—Himari Semans, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
In the 1990s, the Philippines grounded an aging World War II-era navy transport ship on the shoal, to help enforce its claim to the area.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
The poster for the tour features Missy, Busta and Ciara dressed in Mad Max-style futuristic leather outfits standing in front of a giant space ship.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2024
National security analysts are drawing up battle scenarios for a possible war between the U.S. and China over Taiwan, counting up the ships, missiles and bombs on either side.
—Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
The body of a third construction worker killed when the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed last week after it was struck by a cargo ship was recovered Friday, officials said.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 6 Apr. 2024
To recover the sub, without the Soviets knowing, the U.S. needed a new deep sea ship.
—Kathryn Fink, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
Attorneys for the companies that own and manage the ship have asked a judge in federal court to excuse them from any liability for the disaster or cap damages at $43 million.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
The construction workers were on break at the time of the collapse and had been sitting in their trucks to warm up when the ship smashed into the bridge.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024
Those tugboats left the cargo ship around 1:09 a.m.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024
Verb
Montana’s Supreme Court has ruled in a separate case that BNSF and its predecessors were more involved in the mine than simply shipping its product.
—Matthew Brown, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2024
Montana's Supreme Court ruled in a separate case that BNSF and its predecessors were more involved in the mine than simply shipping its product.
—Matthew Brown and Amy Beth Hanson, Quartz, 7 Apr. 2024
These will be shipped to a cryobank at ZooParc de Beauval in France.
—Matjaž Krivic, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
Goods will be frozen and shipped from Seattle on an air cargo plane.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 5 Apr. 2024
While the moment was unexpected, viewers have long shipped the known to be straight Buck with his best friend, Eddie (Ryan Guzman).
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Related article Aid is being shipped to Gaza by sea.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The more specific, the better as ‘manufactured in the US’ might mean that the hemp is grown in China then shipped over.
—Chrono Therapeutics, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The firm has delegated several universities to conduct independent analysis, the spokesperson said, adding the batch in question may have been manufactured between April and October last year and shipped between April and December.
—Himari Semans, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ship.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English scip; akin to Old High German skif ship
Verb (2)
verbal derivative of ship "romantic pairing of a fictional couple," shortened from relationship
Noun suffix
Middle English, from Old English -scipe; akin to Old High German -scaft -ship, Old English scieppan to shape — more at shape
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Verb (2)
1998, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of ship was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing ship
Dictionary Entries Near ship
Cite this Entry
“Ship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ship. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
ship
1 of 3 nounship
2 of 3 verb
shipped; shipping
1
a
: to place or receive on board a ship for transportation by water
b
: to cause to be transported
had her boxes shipped home
2
: to take into a ship or boat
ship oars
3
: to sign on as a crew member of a ship
4
: to take in (as water) over the side
-ship
3 of 3 noun suffixˌship
1
: state : condition : quality
friendship
apprenticeship
2
: position : office : duties
professorship
3
: art : skill : activity
horsemanship
penmanship
4
: one having or entitled to be called by a (specified) title
his Lordship
her Ladyship
5
: the whole body of persons included in a class
a large readership
Etymology
Noun suffix
Old English -scipe "condition, something having a certain quality"
More from Merriam-Webster on ship
Nglish: Translation of ship for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of ship for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ship
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share