launching-ways

A ship slides down the launching-ways into the water.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Shipbuilding structure: "launching-ways" refers to the inclined structures or tracks on which a ship is built and then slid into the water during its launch. They are typically made of timber or metal and are greased to reduce friction.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The shipyard workers prepared the launching-ways for the new vessel. (The inclined tracks used to slide the ship into the water.)
  • After months of construction, the hull was finally placed on the launching-ways. (The structure supporting the ship before launch.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be on the launching-ways": to be in the final stages of preparation before launch.

  • The aircraft carrier is on the launching-ways, ready for its maiden voyage. (The ship is nearly ready to be launched into the water.)

• "to slide down the launching-ways": the action of a ship moving from the construction site into the water.

  • With a great cheer, the ship slid down the launching-ways and into the harbour. (The ship moved along the tracks into the sea.)

Variants and Related Words

• Launching (n): the act of setting a ship afloat for the first time.

  • The launching of the yacht was a grand ceremony. (The event of putting the ship into water.)

• Ways (n, plural): the inclined timbers or tracks used in shipbuilding (often used interchangeably with "launching-ways").

  • The ways were carefully greased to ensure a smooth launch. (The tracks for sliding the ship.)

Synonyms

• Slipway: a sloping structure on which ships are built and launched.
• Shipway: a structure for building and launching ships, similar to launching-ways.

Related Idioms

• "to be on the ways": a nautical idiom meaning a ship is under construction or preparation for launch.
  • The new destroyer is still on the ways, but it will be completed soon. (The ship is being built on the launching-ways.)