Meanings
nounmerchant ship (plural merchant ships)
plural merchant ships
- nauticalA ship that is principally or (usually) entirely civilian, engaged in trade, which carries cargo, passengers, or both.
Old pirates, yes, they rob I Sold I to the merchant ships Minutes after they took I From the bottomless pit.
1980, Bob Marley, Redemption SongSynonyms: merchantman
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA ship that is principally or (usually) entirely civilian, engaged in trade, which carries cargo, passengers, or both.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
APA
merchant ship. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/merchant%20ship
MLA
“merchant ship.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/merchant%20ship. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “merchant ship,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/merchant%20ship.
Source: merchant ship on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.