superdreadnought

A superdreadnought sails across the open sea.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A more powerful battleship: "superdreadnought" refers to a class of battleship that was larger, faster, and more heavily armed than the earlier "dreadnought" type, built primarily in the early 20th century. These ships typically had a displacement of over 25,000 tons and carried main guns of 13.5-inch (343 mm) caliber or larger.

Usage Examples

• (A specific battleship of this advanced class.)
• (The type of warship is discussed in historical analysis.)

Advanced Usage

• "superdreadnought era": the period (roughly 1910–1920) when these ships dominated naval power.
  • The superdreadnought era ended with the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. (The treaty limited the construction of such large battleships.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dreadnought (n): the earlier, revolutionary class of battleship that inspired the superdreadnought.
  • The original dreadnought made all previous battleships obsolete. (The first of its kind.)
• Superdreadnought-class (adj): describing a ship belonging to this category.
  • The superdreadnought-class vessel carried twelve 12-inch guns. (A specific model.)

Synonyms

• Battleship: a general term for large, heavily armed warships.
• Capital ship: a naval term for the most important warships in a fleet, including superdreadnoughts.

Related Idioms

• None: "superdreadnought" is a technical historical term without common idiomatic usage.