# battleship

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbætəlˌʃɪp/ · frequency rank #23,757

## Definitions
1. A large capital warship displacing thousands to tens of thousands of tons, heavily armoured and armed with large-caliber guns; now obsolescent and replaced by smaller vessels with guided missiles.
2. A large capital warship displacing thousands to tens of thousands of tons, heavily armoured and armed with large-caliber guns; now obsolescent and replaced by smaller vessels with guided missiles.
3. A ship of the line.
4. A non-functional rocket stage, used for configuration and integration tests.
5. A guessing game played on grid paper; see Battleship (game).

## Etymology
From battle + ship; shortened from line-of-battle ship, attested 1794.

## Common misspellings (14)
`abttleship`, `batleship`, `batlteship`, `battelship`, `battlehsip`, `battleshhip`, `battleshipp`, `battleshpi`, `battlesihp`, `battlesship`, `battlleship`, `battlsehip`, `bbattleship`, `btatleship`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/battleship