caravel

[ kar-uh-vel ]

noun

1. a small Spanish or Portuguese sailing vessel of the Middle Ages and later, usually lateen-rigged on two or three masts.

caravel

/ ˈkærəˌvɛl /

noun

1. a two- or three-masted sailing ship, esp one with a broad beam, high poop deck, and lateen rig that was used by the Spanish and Portuguese in the 15th and 16th centuries

Word History and Origins

Origin of caravel¹

1520–30; < Middle French car ( a ) velle < Portuguese caravela, equivalent to cárav ( o ) kind of ship (< Late Latin carabus a small wicker boat < Greek kárabos skiff, crayfish) + -ela diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of caravel¹

C16: from Portuguese caravela, diminutive of caravo ship, ultimately from Greek karabos crab, horned beetle

Example Sentences

Thanks to its location and prevailing winds, the Azores have attracted sailors since the age of Spanish galleons, Portuguese caravels and the voyages of discovery.

From Washington Post

It’s a larger version of the archetypal “caravel,” the term for a Portuguese ship used by Columbus and many early explorers.

From Seattle Times

“There are few archaeological examples and very little literature from the time, which would allow us to reconstruct these caravels,” he said.

From The Guardian

Brazil is regressing so quickly that I can almost see on the horizon a fleet of Portuguese caravels coming to colonize us all over again.

From New York Times

The Southeast Missourian report s the two ships tour together as a “sailing museum” to educate the public and schoolchildren about the caravel, a Portuguese ship used by Columbus and many early explorers.

From Seattle Times