corvette

[ kawr-vet ]

noun

1. a warship of the old sailing class, having a flush deck and usually one tier of guns.
2. a lightly armed, fast ship used mostly for convoy escort and ranging in size between a destroyer and a gunboat.

corvette

/ kɔːˈvɛt /

noun

1. a lightly armed escort warship

Word History and Origins

Origin of corvette¹

1630–40; < French, Middle French < Middle Dutch corver pursuit boat (derivative of corf fishing boat, literally, basket), with suffix altered to -ette -ette

Word History and Origins

Origin of corvette¹

C17: from Old French, perhaps from Middle Dutch corf basket, small ship, from Latin corbis basket

Example Sentences

To support his ongoing gambling habit, he sold personal memorabilia, uniforms he’d worn, the Corvette he was given for breaking Cobb’s record, even the bat and ball involved in breaking it.

From Los Angeles Times

Some helmets are Corvette sleek.

From Los Angeles Times

The result was a futuristic-looking, stainless steel sports car with gull-wing doors, meant to compete with the Corvette.

From Los Angeles Times

He said he hopes to use the money to support her, buy a home and replace the breakdown-prone 1988 Corvette he’s been driving since his release.

From Los Angeles Times

“Sugar,” created by Mark Protosevich, uses a signature noir device, the deadpan voice-over, to help define its protagonist as a soft-boiled detective who subverts the tough-guy persona by giving a homeless man $100 bills and taking in a stray dog who looks right at home in the passenger seat of Sugar’s vintage Corvette.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• battleship
• cutter
• destroyer
• frigate
• gunboat
• submarine