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Dreadnought: meaning, definitions and examples

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dreadnought

 

[ ˈdredˌnɔt ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

naval ship

A dreadnought is a type of battleship that is heavily armed and armored, featuring a 'all-big-gun' design, which means it carries the same caliber of big guns throughout. This class of ship represented a significant advancement in naval warfare in the early 20th century.

Synonyms

armored ship, battleship, warship

Examples of usage

  • The Royal Navy launched its first dreadnought in 1906.
  • Dreadnoughts became the mainstay of naval fleets during World War I.
  • The dreadnought class shifted naval strategy dramatically.
  • Many countries raced to build dreadnoughts before the outbreak of WWI.

Translations

Translations of the word "dreadnought" in other languages:

🇵🇹 dreadnought

🇮🇳 ड्रेडनॉट

🇩🇪 Dreadnought

🇮🇩 dreadnought

🇺🇦 дредноут

🇵🇱 dreadnought

🇯🇵 ドレッドノート

🇫🇷 dreadnought

🇪🇸 dreadnought

🇹🇷 dreadnought

🇰🇷 드레드너트

🇸🇦 دريدنوت

🇨🇿 dreadnought

🇸🇰 dreadnought

🇨🇳 无畏舰

🇸🇮 dreadnought

🇮🇸 dreadnought

🇰🇿 дредноут

🇬🇪 დრედნაუტი

🇦🇿 dreadnought

🇲🇽 dreadnought

Etymology

The term 'dreadnought' originated from the name of HMS Dreadnought, a revolutionary British battleship launched in 1906. The name itself derives from an old English term meaning 'fears nothing', which reflects the bold design philosophy behind the ship. Prior to HMS Dreadnought, battleships existed with mixed calibers of guns, but the Dreadnought introduced a concept where all guns were of the same, larger caliber. This innovation rendered previous battleships obsolete and marked a significant turning point in naval design and strategy. As a result, dreadnoughts became the dominant naval warships during the early years of the 20th century, leading to an arms race among major world powers. The legacy of the dreadnought continues to influence naval architecture to this day.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #36,761, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.