line-of-battle ship: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Historical, Technical (Naval/Military History)
Quick answer
What does “line-of-battle ship” mean?
A large, heavily armed warship designed to fight in the main battle line of a naval fleet.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A large, heavily armed warship designed to fight in the main battle line of a naval fleet.
A historical term for the principal warship of the age of sail, typically a ship of the line, which formed the core of a navy's fighting strength from the 17th to mid-19th century.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The term is historical and used identically in both varieties.
Connotations
Evokes the Age of Sail, Nelson, Trafalgar (UK) and the War of 1812, early US Navy (US).
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in modern usage, confined to historical texts, documentaries, and wargaming. Slightly higher frequency in UK due to stronger cultural connection to naval history.
Grammar
How to Use “line-of-battle ship” in a Sentence
The [NATIONALITY] line-of-battle ship [VERB]...A [NUMBER]-gun line-of-battle shipVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “line-of-battle ship” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The admiral sought to line-of-battle his fleet. (Rare, historical)
American English
- The commodore ordered the squadron to line-of-battle. (Rare, historical)
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial use]
American English
- [No standard adverbial use]
adjective
British English
- The line-of-battle ship tactics were crucial at Trafalgar.
American English
- They studied line-of-battle ship warfare of the 1812 period.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in historical, military, and maritime studies to describe specific naval technology and tactics.
Everyday
Virtually never used. Might appear in historical novels or films.
Technical
Precise term in naval history and historical wargaming for a specific class of sailing warship.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “line-of-battle ship”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “line-of-battle ship”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “line-of-battle ship”
- Using it to refer to modern warships.
- Hyphenation errors: writing 'line of battle ship' or 'line-of-battle-ship'.
- Confusing it with 'battleship', which is its steam-powered, ironclad successor.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Line-of-battle ship' (or 'ship of the line') refers to the large sailing warships of the 17th-19th centuries. 'Battleship' refers to the massive steam-powered, steel-armoured warships of the late 19th and 20th centuries, though 'battleship' is derived from the earlier term.
It is named after the naval tactic of forming warships into a line (a 'line of battle') to maximise the firing power of their broadside cannons during an engagement.
They were the dominant capital ships from roughly the mid-17th century until the mid-19th century, when they were made obsolete by ironclad warships and new naval technology.
HMS Victory, Admiral Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), is a preserved first-rate ship of the line and the most famous example.
A large, heavily armed warship designed to fight in the main battle line of a naval fleet.
Line-of-battle ship is usually historical, technical (naval/military history) in register.
Line-of-battle ship: in British English it is pronounced /ˌlaɪn əv ˈbætl ˌʃɪp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌlaɪn əv ˈbætl ˌʃɪp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None specific to this compound term]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a LINE of powerful SHIPS ready for BATTLE. The phrase itself is the definition.
Conceptual Metaphor
A WALL OF WOOD AND CANNON (representing naval power and defensive/offensive strength in formation).
Practice
Quiz
What primarily defined a 'line-of-battle ship'?