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fleet
fleet1 / flēt/ • n. the largest group of naval vessels under one commander, organized for specific tactical or other purposes: an invasion fleet. ∎ (the fleet) a country's navy: the U.S. fleet. ∎ a group of ships sailing together, engaged in the same activity, or under the same ownership: the small port supports a fishing fleet. ∎ a number of ships, vehicles or aircraft operating together or under the same ownership: a fleet of ambulances took the injured to hospital. fleet2 • adj. fast and nimble in movement: a man of advancing years, but fleet of foot. DERIVATIVES: fleet·ly adv. fleet·ness n. fleet3 • n. Brit. a marshland creek, channel, or ditch. fleet4 • v. [intr.] poetic/lit. move or pass quickly: a variety of expressions fleeted across his face time may fleet and youth may fade. ∎ [tr.] pass (time) rapidly. ∎ fade away; be transitory: the cares of boyhood fleet away. |
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"fleet." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "fleet." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-fleet.html "fleet." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-fleet.html |
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fleet
fleet.
1. A company of vessels sailing together. This use of the word is also used to describe the whole of a national navy or all the ships owned by a shipping company. 2. A creek or ditch which is tidal. 3. As a verb, it is generally used to describe a means of obtaining a better haul on a rope, purchases, or cable. When a tackle is approaching ‘two blocks’, so that no more movement is possible, the moving block is fleeted along to give a more advantageous haul. When shrouds become stretched in sailing vessels, so that the deadeyes come too close together, the upper set is fleeted further up the shroud so that there is room to haul it tauter. When an anchor was weighed by hand, the swifter was fleeted round the ends of the capstan bars to provide space for additional men to be used on the capstan. 4. A colloquial expression of fishermen describing a vessel's first movement when it drags its keel along the ground as the rising flood tide is just beginning to float it off. |
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"fleet." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "fleet." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-fleet.html "fleet." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-fleet.html |
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fleet
fleet3 †float OE.; (arch.) flow or glide away XII. OE. str. vb. flēotan float, swim = OS. fliotan (Du. vlieten), OHG. fliozan (G. fliessen), ON. fljóta float, flow :- Gmc. *fleutan; f. IE. *pleud- *plud-, extension of *pleu- *plou- plu- (repr. by Gr. pleîn :- *pleFfein sail, OSl. pluti, Skr. plávate swim, float, L. pluere rain); cf. FLY2. Surviving mainly in fleeting ppl. adj. †floating, swimming OE.; †shifting, inconstant XIII; passing quickly away XVI.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "fleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "fleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-fleet2.html T. F. HOAD. "fleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-fleet2.html |
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Fleet
Fleetthe naval force of a country; a number of ships belonging to a company; a number of persons; birds or other objects moving in company; a group of lorries or trucks. Examples: fleet of aircraft; of barges, 1840; of birds, 1884; of colliers, 1865; of wild ducks, 1810; of knights, 1450; of lant-horns, 1675; of lorries; of motor vehicles; of mudhens; of ships. |
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"Fleet." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Fleet." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300666.html "Fleet." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300666.html |
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fleet
fleet n.
1. a group of ships sailing together, engaged in the same activity, or under the same ownership: the small port supports a fishing fleet | a fleet of battleships. 2. (the fleet) a country's navy: the U.S. fleet. 3. a number of vehicles or aircraft operating together: a fleet of ambulances took the injured to the hospital. |
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"fleet." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "fleet." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-fleet.html "fleet." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-fleet.html |
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fleet
fleet2 (dial.) run of water OE.; (hist.) The Fleet that flowing into the Thames between Ludgate Hill and Fleet Street; (hence) the prison near it XIII. OE. flēot (also flēote or -a), corr. to OFris. flēt, (M)Du. vliet, MHG. vliez, ON. fljót, f. Gmc. *fleut -FLEET3.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "fleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "fleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-fleet1.html T. F. HOAD. "fleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-fleet1.html |
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Fleet
Fleet, ‘(place at) the stream, pool, or creek’, OE flēot; examples include: Fleet Hants. Flete 1313. Fleet Lincs. Fleot 1086 (DB).
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A. D. MILLS. "Fleet." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. A. D. MILLS. "Fleet." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Fleet.html A. D. MILLS. "Fleet." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Fleet.html |
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Fleet
Fleet, England/UK ‘(Place at) the Stream, or the Pool’ from the Old English flēot.
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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Fleet." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Fleet." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Fleet.html JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Fleet." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Fleet.html |
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fleet
fleet1 naval force. OE. flēot (once) ship or ships coll., f. flēotan float, swim, FLEET3.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "fleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "fleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-fleet.html T. F. HOAD. "fleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-fleet.html |
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fleet
fleet4 swift. XVI. prob. much older if — ON. fljótr, f. Gmc. *fleut- (see prec.).
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "fleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "fleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-fleet3.html T. F. HOAD. "fleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-fleet3.html |
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fleet
fleet
•accrete, beat, beet, bittersweet, bleat, cheat, cleat, clubfeet, compete, compleat, complete, conceit, Crete, deceit, delete, deplete, discreet, discrete, eat, effete, élite, entreat, escheat, estreat, excrete, feat, feet, fleet, gîte, greet, heat, leat, leet, Magritte, maltreat, marguerite, meat, meet, mesquite, mete, mistreat, neat, outcompete, peat, Pete, petite, pleat, receipt, replete, seat, secrete, sheet, skeet, sleet, splay-feet, street, suite, sweet, teat, treat, tweet, wheat
•backbeat • heartbeat • deadbeat
•breakbeat • offbeat • browbeat
•downbeat • drumbeat • upbeat
•sugar beet • Blackfeet • flatfeet
•forefeet • exegete • polychaete
•lorikeet • parakeet
•athlete, biathlete, decathlete, heptathlete, pentathlete, triathlete
•kick-pleat • paraclete • obsolete
•gamete • crabmeat • sweetmeat
•mincemeat • forcemeat • backstreet
•concrete • window seat
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"fleet." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "fleet." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-fleet.html "fleet." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-fleet.html |
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