( also the Spanish Armada ) n
the group of 129 ships sent by Spain in 1588 to attack England. A group of British ships, led by Lord Howard of Effingham’s Ark Royal and Francis Drake’s Revenge , defeated the Armada in the English Channel . It was the first sea battle in history involving large numbers of ships, and was seen by the English as a great victory. The word armada is now often used to mean any large group of ships:
A small armada of fishing boats blocked the port in protest against the new regulations.