Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small fleet of ships or boats: A group of small vessels, especially military ships, operating together.
   • A naval unit: Specifically, a United States Navy tactical formation composed of two or more squadrons of smaller warships.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • A flotilla of fishing boats sailed into the harbor at dawn.
  • The navy dispatched a flotilla of patrol boats to secure the coastal waters.
  • The admiral commanded the entire destroyer flotilla.

Advanced Usage

• "Flotilla leader": The commanding ship or the officer in charge of a flotilla.
  • The cruiser served as the flotilla leader during the exercise.

Variants and Related Words

• Fleet (n): A larger group of ships under one command, often including major warships.
• Squadron (n): A principal naval tactical unit, often part of a larger fleet or flotilla.
• Armada (n): A large fleet of warships.

Synonyms

• Fleet (especially a small one)
• Naval force
• Group of vessels

Related Phrases

• Flotilla of small craft: Emphasizes the composition of the group.
  • The coast guard monitored the flotilla of small craft during the regatta.

Noun

1. a fleet of small craft
2. a United States Navy fleet consisting of two or more squadrons of small warships