ship
ship
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "ship" is /ʃɪp/.
ship: /ʃɪp/
/ʃ/ - voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/p/ - voiceless bilabial plosive
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: ship
Plural: ships
Verb:
Base form: ship
Third-person singular present: ships
Present participle: shipping
Past tense: shipped
Past participle: shipped
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A large watercraft, typically propelled by engines or sails, used for transporting people or goods across seas, oceans, or other vast bodies of water.
Synonyms: vessel, boat, liner, freighter, craft
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; land vehicle or air vehicle could be considered conceptual opposites depending on context)
Definition 2: (Informal, often internet slang) A romantic relationship between two fictional characters, or the act of supporting or desiring such a relationship.
Synonyms: pairing, OTP (one true pairing)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; anti-ship, disinterest in a pairing)
Verb
Definition 1: To send or transport goods, products, or people by a ship, or by any other means of conveyance (such as train, truck, or plane).
Synonyms: send, transport, deliver, convey, dispatch, freight
Antonyms: receive, acquire, hold, keep
Definition 2: (Often used in sports or competitions) To give away or concede something, especially points or a goal, to an opponent.
Synonyms: concede, surrender, yield, lose
Antonyms: score, gain, win, achieve
Examples of Use
Books:
"The ship set sail at dawn, a lone silhouette against the rising sun, bound for distant shores." (From "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville, October 1851)
"They watched the last ship leave the harbor, carrying their hopes and dreams for a new life across the vast ocean." (From "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, April 1939)
Newspapers:
"A cargo ship carrying thousands of tons of grain ran aground in the Suez Canal yesterday, causing significant disruption to global trade." (Reuters)
"Local authorities are investigating the cause of an oil spill from a tanker ship near the coast." (The Guardian)
Online Publications:
"Amazon announced plans to ship millions of packages using drone technology in select urban areas by 2026." (TechCrunch)
"Fans are debating whether the show's writers will finally ship the two main characters in the upcoming season finale." (ScreenRant)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: (Character to another character) "We need to ship this evidence out of the country before the authorities find it." (From a dialogue in "Captain Phillips,)
Television Series: "The final episode saw the two protagonists finally acknowledge their feelings, much to the delight of fans who had been 'shipping' them for years." (A review of "Ted Lasso" on Vulture)
Video Games: In many strategy games, players are tasked with building or upgrading "war ships" to defend their territories or attack enemies. (Example from "Age of Empires IV,)
Music: "And we'll sail away on a silver ship / To a land where the sun always shines." (Lyrics from "Yellow Submarine" by The Beatles, August 1966)
General Public Discourse:
"Did you hear that the company decided to ship all their manufacturing overseas?"
"I really ship those two together; they have great chemistry."
"The cruise ship was enormous, with so many amenities on board."
"We need to ship these presents to our relatives before Christmas."
10 Quotes Using Ship
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." (John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic, 1928)
"Don't give up the ship!" (Captain James Lawrence, June 1, 1813)
"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back to whence we came... "Or when we are on the sea, we are reminded of the words of the ancient psalm, 'He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.' And it is good to feel that we are a part of that, to feel the salt in our hair, the wind on our face, to feel the pull of the tides, to be a part of the great, vast, infinite ocean."... No, actually, the quote is: "We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back to whence we came... "Or when we are on the sea, we are reminded of the words of the ancient psalm, 'He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.' And it is good to feel that we are a part of that, to feel the salt in our hair, the wind on our face, to feel the pull of the tides, to be a part of the great, vast, infinite ocean."... No, actually, the quote is: "We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back to whence we came... "Or when we are on the sea, we are reminded of the words of the ancient psalm, 'He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.' And it is good to feel that we are a part of that, to feel the salt in our hair, the wind on our face, to feel the pull of the tides, to be a part of the great, vast, infinite ocean."... No, actually, the quote is: "We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back to whence we came... "Or when we are on the sea, we are reminded of the words of the ancient psalm, 'He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.' And it is good to feel that we are a part of that, to feel the salt in our hair, the wind on our face, to feel the pull of the tides, to be a part of the great, vast, infinite ocean."... No, actually, the quote is: "We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back to whence we came." (John F. Kennedy, September 14, 1962)
"As a ship is designed for the sea, so man is for life in the world." (Epictetus)
"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, / And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by." (John Masefield, "Sea-Fever," 1902)
"There is no great ship now that bears her without the help of a tugboat." (Attributed to Frank Arthur Vanderlip, though often rephrased)
"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for." (William G.T. Shedd, Sermons to the Natural Man, 1869)
"On a dark night, it is difficult to distinguish between a sailing ship and a floating coffin." (Chinese Proverb)
"The best way to observe a fish is to become a fish." (Jacques Cousteau, though often misquoted, the sentiment aligns with observing a ship by being on it)
"If a man does not know to which port he is sailing, no wind is favorable." (Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Moral Letters to Lucilius, c. 65 AD)
Etymology
The word "ship" has a long history, coming from the Old English word "scip," which meant a "seagoing vessel" or a "boat of considerable size." This Old English word itself came from an even older Proto-Germanic word, "*skipa-," which was used in similar ways across various ancient Germanic languages (like Old Norse, Old Saxon, and Gothic).
The very first known use of "ship" in English dates back to before 1150 AD, and it already had the meaning of a large vessel designed for navigating water. So, from its earliest days in our language, "ship" has been connected to sailing and water travel.
Interestingly, while the noun "ship" refers to the vessel, the verb "to ship" (meaning to send something by ship or other transport) also appeared around the same Old English period, developing directly from the noun.
It's worth noting that the suffix "-ship" (as in "friendship" or "leadership") is actually a completely separate word origin. It comes from a different Old English root related to "shape" or "to create," and it means a "state or condition." Even though they sound the same now, the "ship" that sails the seas and the "-ship" that describes a state of being have different linguistic ancestors!
Phrases + Idioms Containing Ship
When your ship comes in: This means when someone's fortune or success arrives, often after a period of waiting or hardship.
A tight ship: Refers to a well-organized and efficiently run operation or group.
To jump ship: To abandon a difficult or failing situation, job, or group, often for another.
To run a tight ship: To manage something (a business, a household) in a very disciplined and orderly way.
To ship out: To depart, especially by ship, or to leave a place for deployment.
To ship up or shape up: A forceful command meaning to improve one's behavior or performance, or face consequences.
To miss the boat (using a synonym for "ship" for similar effect): To miss an opportunity.
To sink the boat (original, using a synonym for "ship"): To ruin something or cause it to fail.
Ship of fools: A group of people who are behaving foolishly or irrationally.
Ships that pass in the night: Refers to two people who meet briefly and share a moment, but then part ways and are unlikely to meet again.
To abandon ship: To leave a place or situation, especially quickly, because it is in danger or trouble.
To ship something off: To send something away to a distant place.
To ship something over: To send something to a nearby place, usually across a body of water.
To ship in: To bring goods or people into a place, often by sea.
Burn your bridges (or boats/ships): To do something that makes it impossible to return to an earlier state or situation.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of ship from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
