— shipless , adj. — shiplessly , adv.
/ship/ , n. , v. , shipped, shipping .
n.
1. a vessel, esp. a large oceangoing one propelled by sails or engines.
2. Naut.
a. a sailing vessel square-rigged on all of three or more masts, having jibs, staysails, and a spanker on the aftermost mast.
b. Now Rare. a bark having more than three masts. Cf. shipentine .
3. the crew and, sometimes, the passengers of a vessel: The captain gave the ship shore leave.
4. an airship, airplane, or spacecraft.
5. jump ship ,
a. to escape from a ship, esp. one in foreign waters or a foreign port, as to avoid further service as a sailor or to request political asylum.
b. to withdraw support or membership from a group, organization, cause, etc.; defect or desert: Some of the more liberal members have jumped ship.
6. run a tight ship , to exercise a close, strict control over a ship's crew, a company, organization, or the like.
7. when one's ship comes in or home , when one's fortune is assured: She'll buy a car as soon as her ship comes in.
v.t.
8. to put or take on board a ship or other means of transportation; to send or transport by ship, rail, truck, plane, etc.
9. Naut. to take in (water) over the side, as a vessel does when waves break over it.
10. to bring (an object) into a ship or boat.
11. to engage (someone) for service on a ship.
12. to fix in a ship or boat in the proper place for use.
13. to place (an oar) in proper position for rowing. Cf. boat (def. 13).
14. to send away: They shipped the kids off to camp for the summer.
v.i.
15. to go on board or travel by ship; embark.
16. to engage to serve on a ship.
17. ship out ,
a. to leave, esp. for another country or assignment: He said goodby to his family and shipped out for the West Indies.
b. to send away, esp. to another country or assignment.
c. Informal. to quit, resign, or be fired from a job: Shape up or ship out!
[ bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE scip; c. D schip, G Schiff, ON, Goth skip; (v.) ME s ( c ) hip ( p ) en, deriv. of the n. ]