Man-of-war

nounStandard termMaritime

A heavily armed naval vessel propelled primarily by sails.

A historic classification for a powerful, armed naval ship built specifically for combat. These vessels carried multiple tiers of heavy cannon and were designed to withstand heavy fire while delivering massive broadsides in fleet engagements.

Heard on the job

A French man-of-war was sighted off the cape, carrying at least seventy guns.