/ahr mah"deuh, -may"-/ , n.
1. Also called Invincible Armada, Spanish Armada . the fleet sent against England by Philip II of Spain in 1588. It was defeated by the English navy and later dispersed and wrecked by storms.
2. ( l.c. ) any fleet of warships.
3. ( l.c. ) a large group or force of vehicles, airplanes, etc.: an armada of transport trucks.
[ 1525-35; armata armed forces, neut. pl. of ARMATUS (ptp. of armare to equip with arms). See ARM 2 , -ATE 1 ]