destroyer
That which destroys something.
Other meanings
A small, fast warship with light gun armament, smaller than a cruiser, but bigger than a frigate.
A larger warship with guided missile armament, usually intended for air defence or anti-ship roles. Often, but not always, larger than a frigate and smaller than a cruiser.
Synonyms
- guided missile destroyer
A kind of
- warship
Kinds of destroyer
- tin can
- torpedo-boat destroyer
Related words
- command destroyer
- destroyer escort
- destroyer leader
- destroyer minesweeper
- flag destroyer
- mealybug destroyer
- tank destroyer
- commerce destroyer
- self-destroyer
Word history
From Middle English "destroyour".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “destroyer” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.