fleet1
/fliːt
/noun
1A 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...
- The Big Ship, Reynard, was the largest in the fleet of appropriated sailing ships that Claw's organization was running.
- Where it once had a fleet of 15 ships, it now has three, with another ship being reactivated later this year.
- It seems that in 1678 the French planned to attack the Dutch with a fleet of 20 ships.
1.1 (the fleet) A country’s navy: the US fleet...
- The comte de Rochambeau had already begun planning for a siege at Yorktown when he requested assistance from the commander of the French fleet in the Caribbean.
Synonyms
navy, naval force, (naval) task force, armada, flotilla, squadron, convoy, column
1.2A number of vehicles or aircraft operating together or under the same ownership: a fleet of ambulances took the injured to hospital...
- We operate a fleet of six aircraft; one of which is used as a dedicated stand-by aircraft.
- The airline now operates with a fleet of 367 aircraft, 6 fewer than last year.
- The US operates a fleet of more than 15,000 aircraft, including 20 stealth bombers in service.
Origin
Old English flēot 'ship, shipping', from flēotan 'float, swim' (see fleet4).
Rhymes
fleet2
/fliːt/adjective chiefly literary
Fast and nimble in movement: a man of advancing years, but fleet of foot
Derivatives
fleetly
- Rachel Peppin dances fleetly as the teenage Clara, eager and charming.
- She fleetly flitted down the paved walkway to the large iron gates that guarded the mansion, and removed her hood so she could see the key-pad better.
fleetness
- Their combination and their fleetness of action was impressive.
- That leaves you plenty of time to apply your freshly honed agility and fleetness to any adventurous pursuit.
- He was noted at school for his fleetness of foot and it was said that he could outrun any of those fleet and nimble flock.
Origin
Early 16th century: probably from Old Norse fljótr, of Germanic origin and related to fleet4.
fleet3
/fliːt/noun
1 dialect A marshland creek, channel, or ditch.Sam explained that the 3,000 acres of the Nature Reserve is the largest in the English lowlands, the main area being grazing marsh divided by a network of ditches and fleets....
- The ditches, dikes and reed-edged fleets that crisscross the grazing marshes here are rich in invertebrates, including the scarce emerald damselfly.
2 (the Fleet) A stream, now wholly underground, running into the Thames east of Fleet Street.
2.1 historical A prison that stood near the Fleet.
Origin
Old English flēot, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vliet, also to fleet4.
fleet4
/fliːt/verb [no object] literary
1Move or pass quickly: a variety of expressions fleeted across his face
1.1 [with object] Pass (time) rapidly: we fleeted the time carelessly
1.2Fade away; be transitory: the cares of boyhood fleet away
Origin
Old English flēotan 'float, swim', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vlieten and German fliessen, also to flit and float.
fleet5
/fliːt/dialect
adjective
(Of water) shallow.
adverb
At or to a small depth.
Origin
Early 17th century: perhaps based on an Old English cognate of Dutch vloot 'shallow' and related to fleet4.