ship

plural ships · alternative obsolete shipp · alternative obsolete shippe

1. nauticalA water-borne vessel generally larger than a boat.

   Synonyms: keel

2. in compoundsA vessel which travels through any medium other than across land, such as an airship or spaceship.
3. in compoundscellular automataA spaceship.

   While constructing a butterfly double gun I put one cell at the wrong site and the result was highly surprising: my pattern turned to a big, beautiful ship, very similar to those found in Aqua25 from Al Hensel's collection!

   1999 June 23, Mirek Wojtowicz, “What else has Brian in his Brain?”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)

   2 more examples

   I don't know if there is another standard method, but the following approach works: Consider the collision of gliders from three rakes that produces a medium spaceship in the _same_ direction as the rake. This ship will follow along to the next collision point, which will not produce a spaceship, but rather some stable garbage, consisting of a block and a beehive.

   1991 January 10, Paul Callahan, “Questions and comments about Conway's Life (long)”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)

   Aside from the one ship in B3/S124 shown above, the only spaceships of this size (with period up to 20) in any of these rules are the Life glider and the three known from B2/ (each of which also is found in some variants of the Life or B2/ rules).

   1995 November 12, Rich Holmes, “Totalistic spaceships”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)

4. cellular automataA particular still life consisting of an empty cell surrounded by six live cells.

   But there are no ships, and no natural traffic lights or honey farms. The ship self destructs, and the predecessors to the traffic lights and honey farms self-destruct in spectacular manners.

   1994 May 7, David Bell, “HighLife - An Interesting Variant of Life (part 1/3)”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)

   1 more example

   In the case of these "ship" neighborhoods, birth will occur at the center cell, thus deviating from the "overcrowding" rule of Life (HighLife allows such a birth in all neighborhoods containing 6 cells).

   1994 June 5, Paul Callahan, “Interesting life program”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)

5. archaicformalnauticalA sailing vessel with three or more square-rigged masts.
6. A dish or utensil (originally fashioned like the hull of a ship) used to hold incense.First known use 15th century
7. cartomancyThe third card of the Lenormand deck.
8. datedAn aircraft.

   In addition to the four NAA pilots, three Air Force and one RAF pilot, all based at Edwards, flew the ship after first being checked out on the "tether rig."

   1994, American Aviation Historical Society Journal, page 107

   1 more example

   This means that the landing wheels are not so far forward of the ship's center of gravity ; and that means that ground contact is less likely to produce a bounce.

   1944, Wolfgang Langewiesche, Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying

present singular third person ships · participle present shipping · participle past shipped · past shipped

1. transitiveTo send by water-borne transport.

   All the timber whereof, was […] ſhipped in the bay of Attalia[…], from whence it was by ſea tranſported to Pelusium.

   1603, Richard Knolles, “The Life of Solyman, the Fourth and Most Magnificent Emperour of the Turkes”, in The Generall Historie of the Turkes, […], London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 670

   1 more example

   One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains. Isolating a city’s effluent and shipping it away in underground sewers has probably saved more lives than any medical procedure except vaccination.

   2014 June 14, “It's a gas”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8891

2. transitiveTo send (a parcel or container) to a recipient (by any means of transport).

   to ship freight by railroad

3. ergativeTo release (a product, not necessarily physical) to vendors or customers; to launch.

   It compiles? Ship it!

   1 more example

   Our next issue ships early next year.

4. ergativeTo engage to serve on board a vessel.

   to ship seamen

   2 more examples

   I shipped on a man-of-war.

   With finger pointed and eye levelled at the Pequod, the beggar-like stranger stood a moment, as if in a troubled reverie; then starting a little, turned and said:—“Ye’ve shipped, have ye? Names down on the papers? Well, well, what’s signed, is signed; and what’s to be, will be;[…]

   1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “chapter 19”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC

5. intransitiveTo embark on a ship.

   I shipped with them and becoming friends, we set forth on our venture, in health and safety; and sailed with a fair wind, till we came to a city called Madínat-al-Sín; […]

   1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 563”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC

6. transitivenauticalTo put or secure in its place.

   to ship the tiller or rudder

   1 more example

   To the upper part of the frame a chain is attached, and if the screw shaft be drawn back out of the boss, the square frame may be hove up by carrying the chain to a winch—the sliding block maintaining the frame in the perpendicular position. By the use of this contrivance, therefore, the screw may be shipped or unshipped with facility.

   1846, editorial staff, “Maudslay's Improvements in propelling Machinery”, in Scientific American, series 1, Volume 2, Issue 13, page 100

7. transitiveTo take in or take on (water) over the sides of a vessel.

   We were shipping so much water I was sure we would capsize.

   2 more examples

   She was half in the water, a mere hulk, her rigging torn to shreds, her main mast cut away, and every sea she shipped, Melmoth could hear distinctly the dying cries of those who were swept away, or perhaps of those whose mind and body, alike exhausted, relaxed their benumbed hold of hope and life together,—knew that the next shriek that was uttered must be their own and their last.

   1820, [Charles Robert Maturin], Melmoth the Wanderer: A Tale. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Company, and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., […], →OCLC, page 159

   But as things were it was manageable enough, and we did not ship a cupful of water.

   1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC

8. colloquialTo leave, depart, scram.

   Douglas: Sorry girls, you better go. Girls! Ship it!

   2008 November 21, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 3, Episode 1

9. colloquialditransitiveTo pass (from one person to another).

   Can you ship me the ketchup?

   1 more example

   And when scrum-half Ben Youngs, who had a poor game, was burgled by opposite number Irakli Abuseridze and the ball shipped down the line to Irakli Machkhaneli, it looked like Georgia had scored a try of their own, but the winger's foot was in touch.

   2011 September 18, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 41-10 Georgia”, in BBC Sport

10. ambitransitiveslangcard gamesTo go all in.
11. transitivehobbiesTo trade or send (a player) to another team.

    Twins ship Delmon Young to Tigers.

12. transitiveball gamesTo draw (a penalty) by bungling a kick and giving the opposing team possession.

    England were shipping penalties at an alarming rate - five in the first 15 minutes alone - and with Wilkinson missing three long-distance pots of his own in the first 20 minutes, the alarm bells began to ring for Martin Johnson's men.

    2011 October 1, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland”, in BBC Sport

    1 more example

    They shipped penalties, lost field position, and in the second-half, having retreated to the changing room buoyed by Dougie Fife’s well-worked try, found themselves ceding two-thirds of the territory and with it, the lion’s share of the ball.

    2015 February 11, “Six Nations: Scotland raw but capable of improving”, in The Scotsman

13. hobbiesTo concede(points/goals)

    They have now shipped 13 goals in their last six matches in all competitions, after conceding only seven in their first 17 games under Tuchel.

    2026 September 26, Phil McNulty, “England embrace the chaos - but control also needed to win big prizes”, in BBC Sport

plural ships

1. slanglifestyleA romantic pairing of two or more characters or real people, especially one imagined by fans.
2. abbreviationclippinguncommonClipping of relationship.

   Along the way, I have developed a few rules. When you’re seeing someone, it is only polite to hit pause on these ex-ships, or at least dial them back.

   2025 February 28, Laura Esther Wolfson, “Rules for Staying Close to Exes”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

present singular third person ships · participle present shipping · participle past shipped · past shipped

1. slangtransitivelifestyleTo support or approve of a fictional romantic relationship between two characters, typically in fan fiction or other fandom contexts.

   I ship Kirk and Spock in Star Trek.

   2 more examples

   I ship Peggy and Angie in Marvel's Agent Carter.

   I should warn you that I could not identify a ‘dank meme’ if the fate of the working class depended on it and that I shall not be ‘shipping’ Lenin and Trotsky.

   2017, Helen Razer, Total Propaganda: Basic Marxist Brainwashing for the Angry and the Young, Allen & Unwin, →ISBN