hospital ship

American

noun

a ship built to serve as a hospital, especially used to treat the wounded in wartime and accorded safe passage by international law.

Etymology

Origin of hospital ship

First recorded in 1675–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The order, accompanied by an AI-generated illustration of a World War II-era hospital ship flying the U.S. flag, was confusing to many, and justifiably so.

From Salon

He said he didn’t specifically ask for a U.S. hospital ship.

From The Wall Street Journal

The government has sent three warships carrying aid and two hospital ships to some of the worst-hit areas, where many roads remain impassable.

From Barron's

The vessel was requisitioned by the British Admiralty during the war to serve as a hospital ship.

From BBC

As well as the silhouettes representing the personnel from all three services, two bespoke figures were created to represent nurses Sisters Evershed and Field, who died while saving 75 men from a hospital ship.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023