ship's store: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Nautical, Commercial
Quick answer
What does “ship's store” mean?
A retail shop located on board a ship, typically a cruise ship or naval vessel, selling goods to passengers and crew.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A retail shop located on board a ship, typically a cruise ship or naval vessel, selling goods to passengers and crew.
Can refer to the physical inventory or stockroom of supplies on a vessel, managed for internal use.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is used in both varieties but is more common in professional maritime contexts. There is no direct lexical variant.
Connotations
Neutral, functional description of a facility.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both; known primarily to those in maritime industries or frequent cruise travelers.
Grammar
How to Use “ship's store” in a Sentence
[Passenger] bought [souvenir] from the ship's store.The [ship's store] is located on [Deck 5].The [crew] manages the ship's store.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “ship's store” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The purser will ship's-store the new merchandise.
- We need to ship's-store these items.
American English
- The quartermaster will ship's-store the new supplies.
- They ship's-stored the goods for the voyage.
adverb
British English
- Goods were delivered ship's-store.
- They operated ship's-store efficiently.
American English
- Items are sold ship's-store only.
- Provisions are stored ship's-store.
adjective
British English
- The ship's-store prices are quite high.
- She made a ship's-store purchase.
American English
- The ship's-store inventory is listed here.
- He works in a ship's-store role.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to a revenue-generating retail unit within cruise line operations.
Academic
Rare; might appear in papers on maritime economics or tourism.
Everyday
Used by cruise passengers discussing onboard amenities.
Technical
Used in maritime logistics and provisioning manuals.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “ship's store”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “ship's store”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “ship's store”
- Using 'ship store' (without possessive 's).
- Confusing it with a ship's 'hold' or 'storeroom' (which is for cargo, not retail).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, typically, though sometimes there may be separate crew shops or specific hours.
Often they are duty-free when the ship is in international waters, but policies vary.
No. A chandlery sells nautical equipment and supplies for the vessel itself. A ship's store sells goods to people on board.
It's pronounced clearly as /ʃɪps/, with a clear 's' sound linking to 'store'.
A retail shop located on board a ship, typically a cruise ship or naval vessel, selling goods to passengers and crew.
Ship's store is usually formal, nautical, commercial in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Run a tight ship (related nautical idiom, but not directly about the store)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a SHIP with a STORE inside it, like a floating corner shop.
Conceptual Metaphor
A FLOATING MARKET; A SELF-CONTAINED COMMERCIAL WORLD.
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'ship's store' primarily?