pre-dreadnought
nounEtymology From pre- + dreadnought.
1
Government, Military, Nautical, Politics, Transport, War Historical A late-19th-century or early-20th-century battleship with a small number of big guns (typically no more than four) and a large number of quick-firing medium-caliber guns. It was made largely obsolete in 1906 by the dreadnought type of battleship.
- Hyponyms
- semi-dreadnought