destroyer

destroyer (warship)

noun deh-strwah-YER Rare

Origin: English 'destroyer'

Usage Note

Destroyer is borrowed from English and refers specifically to the naval vessel — a fast, manoeuvrable warship. It is always masculine and does not change form in the plural. In French naval vocabulary, the equivalent traditional term is un contre-torpilleur, but destroyer is now the standard term in both formal and journalistic usage.

Examples

"Le destroyer a escorté le porte-avions."

Natural Translation

The destroyer escorted the aircraft carrier.

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