lightship

L1I1G2H4T1S1H4I1P3

noun

A ship riding at anchor and displaying a light for the guidance of sailors, in a position where a fixed lighthouse structure would be impracticable.

“Near-synonyms: lightvessel (usually synonymous), lightboat”

Similar
lightvessellightboat
UncommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

nounlightship (plural lightships)

plural lightships · alternative light-ship

  1. nauticalA ship riding at anchor and displaying a light for the guidance of sailors, in a position where a fixed lighthouse structure would be impracticable.

    Near-synonyms: lightvessel (usually synonymous), lightboat

    Synonyms: lightvessel, lightboat

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA ship riding at anchor and displaying a light for the guidance of sailors, in a position where a fixed lighthouse structure would be impracticable.

Similar
lightvessellightboat

Origin

From light (noun) + ship (noun). Cognate with Middle Low German lüchteschip (“lightship”), Dutch lichtschip (“lightship”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian кораб-фар, плаващ фар
  • кораб-фар (korab-far)lightship
  • плаващ фар (plavašt far)lightship
Chinese Mandarin 灯塔船
  • 灯塔船 (dēngtǎchuán)lightship
Czech majáková loď
  • majáková loďlightship
Danish fyrskib
  • fyrskiblightship
Dutch lichtschip
  • lichtschiplightship
Esperanto lumŝipo
  • lumŝipolightship
Finnish majakka-alus, majakkalaiva
  • majakka-aluslightship
  • majakkalaivalightship
French bateau-phare, bateau-feu
  • bateau-pharelightship
  • bateau-feulightship
German Feuerschiff
  • Feuerschifflightship
Greek φαρόπλοιο, καραβοφάναρο
  • φαρόπλοιο (faróploio)lightship
  • καραβοφάναρο (karavofánaro)lightship
Hebrew אֳנִיַּת מִגְדַּלּוֹר
  • אֳנִיַּת מִגְדַּלּוֹר (oniyát migdalór)lightship
Icelandic vitaskip
  • vitaskiplightship
Irish long sholais
  • long sholaislightship
Italian nave-faro
  • nave-farolightship
Japanese 灯台船
  • 灯台船 (tōdaisen)lightship
Korean 등선
  • 등선 (deungseon)lightship
Latvian peldošā bāka
  • peldošā bākalightship
Norwegian Bokmål fyrskip
  • fyrskiplightship
Polish latarniowiec
  • latarniowieclightship
Portuguese navio-farol
  • navio-farollightship
Romanian navă-far
  • navă-farlightship
Russian плаву́чий мая́к
  • плаву́чий мая́к (plavúčij maják)lightship
Slovak majáková loď
  • majáková loďlightship
Spanish buque faro
  • buque farolightship
Swedish fyrskepp, fyrfartyg
  • fyrskepplightship
  • fyrfartyglightship
Ukrainian плавучий маяк
  • плавучий маяк (plavučyj majak)lightship
Cite this entry
APA

lightship. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightship

MLA

“lightship.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightship. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lightship,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightship.

Source: lightship on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.