pocket battleship

noun

1. a small heavily armed and armored warship serving as a battleship because of limitations imposed by treaty.

pocket battleship

noun

1. a small heavily armoured and armed battle cruiser specially built to conform with treaty limitations on tonnage and armament, esp any of those built by Germany in the 1930s

Word History and Origins

Origin of pocket battleship¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

The New Zealand bowlers, to their credit, ran in wholeheartedly all day, none more so than the indefatigable Wagner, a pocket battleship ploughing relentlessly through the waves, who flogged his way through 43 overs.

From The Guardian

The firm is less a boutique and more a pocket battleship, with a leading position in capital-raising and dealing in shares and bonds.

From Economist

"Didn't we blow up a pocket battleship?" he argued sourly.

From Project Gutenberg

Shells from the pocket battleship sent up huge columns of water alongside.

From Project Gutenberg

This report says His Majesty's carrier, Staunch, has on board a new type of dive bomber which put a pocket battleship out of action and later landed upon the deck of the carrier.

From Project Gutenberg