navy

[ ney-vee ]

noun

plural navies.

1. the whole body of warships and auxiliaries belonging to a country or ruler.
2. (often initial capital letter) the complete body of such warships together with their officers and enlisted personnel, equipment, yards, etc., constituting the sea power of a nation.
3. (often initial capital letter) the department of government charged with its management.
4. navy blue ( def 1 ).
5. Archaic. a fleet of ships.

adjective

1. belonging or connected to a navy; naval:

   navy vessels in the harbor;

   a navy officer with combat experience aboard a submarine.

2. of the color navy blue:

   Either tie will look great with your navy suit.

navy

/ ˈneɪvɪ /

noun

1. the warships and auxiliary vessels of a nation or ruler
2. the navy
   often capital the branch of a country's armed services comprising such ships, their crews, and all their supporting services and equipment
3. short for navy blue
4. archaic.
   a fleet of ships
5. ( as modifier )

   a navy custom

Other Word Forms

• pro·na·vy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of navy¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English navie, from Middle French, from unattested Vulgar Latin navia, equivalent to Latin nāv(is) “ship” + -ia noun suffix ( -y ³ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of navy¹

C14: via Old French from Vulgar Latin nāvia (unattested) ship, from Latin nāvis ship

Example Sentences

The bags first became a “must-need item” last year — with the store releasing the mini totes in navy, yellow, red and forest green.

From Los Angeles Times

They were Dallas navy and Mavericks retro green.

From Los Angeles Times

Its navy has been trying to prevent sabotage of undersea cables.

From BBC

The Bangladeshi navy also participated in a multinational maritime exercise organised by Pakistan off the Karachi coast in February.

From BBC

The statement explained the navy experts "expressed interest based on the object's appearance and measurements".

From BBC