dreadnought meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

dreadnought

noun

UK /ˈdɹɛd.nɔːt/ · US /ˈdɹɛd.nɔt/

Etymology

Etymology tree English dread English nought English dreadnought English HMS Dreadnought English dreadnought Named after HMS Dreadnought, the first battleship finished of this type, itself named for Etymology 2.

Government, Military, Nautical, Politics, Transport, War Historical A battleship, especially of the World War I era, in which most of the firepower is concentrated in large guns that are of the same caliber.

Perturbed at being overtaken, the USS Texas is leading the 6th Battle Squadron at 22-and-a-half knots as the engineers pour everything they have into the effort. Behind the colossal clouds of smoke and cinders they put out come a seemingly-endless stream of dreadnoughts, battle flags flying from every mast and line they can find. It is the Grand Fleet.2018 October 17, Drachinifel, 18:32 from the start, in Last Ride of the High Seas Fleet - Battle of Texel 1918, archived from the original on 04 Aug 2022:

Government, Military, Nautical, Politics, Transport, War Historical, Informal Any type of warship heavier in armour or armament than a typical battleship.

Sovereign is the flagship of the rogue Spectre Saren. An enormous dreadnought larger than any other ship in any known fleet, Sovereign is crewed with both geth and krogan. At two kilometers long, its spinal-mounted main gun is likely capable of penetrating another dreadnought's kinetic barriers with a single shot.2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Sovereign Codex entry:

Broadly One that is the largest or the most powerful of its kind.

Herbert steering the dreadnought limousine through the night, black cap on his black head.1963, J P Donleavy, A Singular Man, published 1963 (USA), page 278:

Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music Broadly A type of acoustic guitar with a very large body and a waist that is less pronounced than on other guitar shapes, producing a deep, bold sound.

Broadly A garment made of thick woollen cloth that can defend against storm and cold.

"Much obliged to you, ma'am!" says Mr. Guppy, divesting himself of his wet dreadnought in the hall.1853, Charles Dickens, chapter 7, in Bleak House:

Broadly The cloth itself; fearnaught.

Derived terms: Dreadnoughtus, pre-dreadnought, predreadnought, semi-dreadnought, semidreadnought, super-dreadnought, superdreadnought

dreadnought

noun

Etymology From dread + nought.

One that fears nothing.

“Lift up your head and your heart, O King. We must follow after this dreadnought, hard on her tracks.”1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 35:

Something that assures against fear.

Related terms: aircraft carrier, battleship, corvette, cruiser, destroyer, frigate, gunboat, monitor, sloop