Definition

1. Noun:
   • A large dock from which water can be pumped out; used for building ships or for repairing a ship below its waterline: A dry dock is a structured basin or enclosure that can be sealed and drained of water to allow a ship's hull to be fully exposed for construction, maintenance, or repair.

Usage

• A is a specialized maritime facility. It is used when a vessel needs to be inspected or worked on in a dry environment. The ship is floated into the dock, the gates are closed, and the water is pumped out, leaving the ship resting on blocks.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The cruise ship entered the dry dock for its annual overhaul.
  • Building a vessel of that size requires a massive dry dock.

Advanced Usage

• "to be in dry dock": To be undergoing repairs or maintenance in a dry dock.
  • The naval fleet is weaker with its flagship in dry dock.
• "to put/place a ship into dry dock": To move a ship into a dry dock for work.
  • The company decided to put the tanker into dry dock to fix the hull damage.

Variants and Related Words

• Drydock (verb, less common): To place a ship in a dry dock.
  • They need to drydock the ferry for inspection.
• Graving dock: Another term for a traditional, excavated dry dock.
• Floating dock: A type of dry dock that can be submerged to float a ship in and then raised.
• Shipyard: A place where ships are built and repaired, which typically contains dry docks.

Synonyms

• Graving dock: A dry dock constructed on land.
• Building dock: A dry dock specifically used for ship construction.

Related Phrases

• Out of the water: A descriptive phrase for a ship's condition when in a dry dock.
  • It's strange to see such a large ship out of the water in the dry dock.

Noun

1. a large dock from which water can be pumped out; used for building ships or for repairing a ship below its waterline