noun
steamship
STEEM-shihp
Steamship (noun) means a large ship powered by a steam engine. Example: “The steamship carried passengers and cargo across the ocean.”
noun
1
A large ship powered by a steam engine.
"The shipwreck is the earliest examples yet found of a propeller-driven steamship on the Great Lakes."
— Michael Pearson, 153-year-old shipwreck found in Lake Ontario (2015)
"India’s half-hour zone dates back to colonial rule of India and the era when ever-faster steamships and trains were shrinking the world."
— Dhruv Tikekar, How India got stuck in its own unusual time zone (2024)
"Steamship arrivals, however, are less predictable and the best arrangements of shipping companies and the railway operating department may be upset by weather and tide."
— J. N. Faulkner, Summer Saturday at Waterloo (1962)
"The steamship carried passengers and cargo across the ocean."
How to use steamship
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA ship driven by steam power, common before diesel engines took over.
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Word forms
- Plural
- steamships
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ carried passengers and cargo across the ocean.
Etymology
A compound of steam + ship.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “steamship” mean?
The word “steamship” means a large ship powered by a steam engine. In plain terms, a ship driven by steam power, common before diesel engines took over.
How do you pronounce “steamship”?
“Steamship” is pronounced STEEM-shihp (/ˈstimˌʃɪp/ in IPA).
How do you use “steamship” in a sentence?
Here is “steamship” used in a sentence: “The steamship carried passengers and cargo across the ocean.”
What part of speech is “steamship”?
“Steamship” is a noun.
