gunboat

noun

gun·​boat ˈgən-ˌbōt How to pronounce gunboat (audio)
: an armed ship of shallow draft

Examples of gunboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 1990, Papua New Guinea blockaded the islands with gunboats, but the BRA’s numbers swelled nonetheless. Sean Williams, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024 This episode, too, touched upon my family: in 1918, my father, a member of the Royal Naval Reserve, boarded a gunboat on its way to join American, French, and other Allied contingents to fight against Bolshevik forces in Murmansk, one of the towns featured in Taub’s piece. The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 Just before midnight on June 1, 1863 – around two years into the Civil War – Tubman and Col. James Montgomery of the Union Army set sail up the Combahee River, leading three military gunboats of about 150 Black Union soldiers. Kara Nelson, CNN, 18 June 2024 Her impetuous plan to sink a German gunboat provides a strong narrative hook that propels the two lovebirds into unexpectedly heroic roles. Danny Horn, EW.com, 9 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gunboat 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gunboat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gunboat was in 1777

Dictionary Entries Near gunboat

Cite this Entry

“Gunboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunboat. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

gunboat

noun
gun·​boat ˈgən-ˌbōt How to pronounce gunboat (audio)
: a small lightly armed ship for use in shallow waters

More from Merriam-Webster on gunboat

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