The following is the definition of a "Man of War," according to the OED:
2. a. A vessel equipped for warfare; a commissioned warship belonging
to the recognized navy of a country.
Now chiefly hist. (referring to sailing vessels), but still current
in the U.S. Navy.
1484 W. CELY Let. 17 March in Cely Lett. (1975) 203 As he cam to
Callesward, ij men off warre off Frensche mett wyth hym and ffawghte
wyth hym.
1594 E. GLENHAM Newes from Levane Seas in J. P. Collier Illustr. Old
Eng. Lit. (1866) I. 4 In sight of the King of Spaynes men of warre,
which were twenty two sayles.
1661 S. PEPYS Diary (1970) 27 July II. 142 Going in a hired vessell
from Rye, and not in a man-of-Warr.
1680 Debates in Parl. (1681) 120 It [sc. Tangier] will always be
Serviceable, as well for our Men of War to resort to..as for the
protection of our Merchant-men.
1748 Anson's Voy. III. x. 415 At Canton..we saw no more than four men
of war junks.
1759 Ann. Reg. 36 A fresh water harbour, capable of containing an
hundred men of war of the line.
1782 G. WHITE Jrnl. 14 Nov. (1970) xv. 215 Lord Howe arrived at
Portsmouth with 16 men of war.
1859 All Year Round No. 22. 519 The man-of-war brig.
1887 W. BESANT World Went iii. 28 If he who has commanded a man-of-war
is not to have his own way in everything, who should?
1926 Blackwood's Mag. Dec. 823/2 On board a British man-of-war.
1988 J. V. NOEL & E. L. BEACH Naval Terms Dict. (ed. 5) 180 Most
commissioned vessels of the [U.S.] Navy are men-of-war, but not all,
e.g., a hospital ship.
1992 B. MORGAN Random Passage xvi. 215 Vessels of every kind: tiny
shallops, a fifty-gun man-of-war, frigates, whalers.
http://www.seatalk.info gives the following as a definition:
Term: man of war, man o' war (n)
Definition: A full rigged warship of the 17th Century, carrying
square and lateen sails, and armed with cannons. The man o' war was a
refinement of the Galleons of the 16th Century.
See also
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=man-of-war for more definitions.
Martha Katz-Hyman
Newport News, VA
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