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gunboat

[ guhn-boht ]

/ ˈgʌnˌboʊt /

noun

a small, armed warship of light draft, used in ports where the water is shallow.

any small ship carrying mounted guns.

Origin of gunboat

First recorded in 1770–80; gun¹ + boat

Words nearby gunboat

gun tackle, gun-shy, gun-toting, gun., guna, gunboat, gunboat diplomacy, guncotton, gunda, gundi, gunfight

Example sentences from the Web for gunboats

Besides which they had frigates and a cloud of small armed vessels, gunboats and the like.

The Admiral |Douglas Sladen
Instead of ten vessels, there were only two accompanied by four gunboats, and no troops for landing.

The Egyptian campaigns, 1882 to 1885 |Charles Royle
In addition to the land batteries, the gunboats in the river were hurling huge shells at us.

The Southern Soldier Boy |James Carson Elliott
The principle was the same as to gunboats, and the objection of time necessary for building did not exist.

Albert Gallatin |John Austin Stevens

The garrison also attacked the besiegers and received much assistance from French gunboats moored near the shore.

William Pitt and the Great War |John Holland Rose

British Dictionary definitions for gunboats

gunboat

/ (ˈɡʌnˌbəʊt) /

noun

a small shallow-draft vessel carrying mounted guns and used by coastal patrols, etc