# ship

/ˈʃɪp/ (US) · /ʃˈɪp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ship
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. large boat

noun · CEFR A2

a large boat that travels across deep water like the ocean.

For teachers: a large water-borne vessel, typically distinguished from a boat by its size, weight, and capacity for deep-water navigation.

- The huge cargo ship carried thousands of containers across the Atlantic.
- The cruise ship docked at the harbour at dawn, allowing thousands of passengers to disembark for a day of sightseeing.

### 2. spacecraft

noun · CEFR B1

a vehicle used for traveling in space.

For teachers: a vehicle designed for travel or operation in outer space; often a clipping of 'spaceship'.

- In the movie, the alien ship landed silently in the middle of the desert.
- Engineers monitored the ship's trajectory closely as it prepared to enter the planet's atmosphere.

### 3. fictional couple

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a romantic relationship between two characters in a story that fans support.

For teachers: a fictional romantic relationship between characters, especially one promoted or discussed by fans.

- My favorite ship in the series is the hero and his rival.
- The writers eventually made the popular fan ship canon in the final season, much to the delight of the online community.

Teaching tip: This is a clipping of 'relationship' used specifically in fandom contexts.

### 4. to send a package

verb · CEFR B1

to send a physical item to someone, usually by mail or a delivery service.

For teachers: to transport or transmit goods via any carrier or medium.

- The company will ship your order within three business days.
- Due to the global supply chain crisis, the manufacturer was unable to ship the components until late September.

### 5. to release software

verb · CEFR B2

to make a new product or software available for people to buy or use.

For teachers: to release a finished product, particularly software or digital media, to customers or the general public.

- The team worked all night to make sure the app was ready to ship on Monday.
- The studio decided to ship the game despite several known bugs, intending to fix them with a day-one patch.

### 6. to support a couple

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

to want two characters in a story to be in a romantic relationship.

For teachers: to support or advocate for a romantic pairing between two characters in a fictional work.

- I really ship those two characters because they have great chemistry.
- Fans began to ship the two leads after the first episode, despite the show's creators insisting they were just friends.

## Examples

- The cargo ship carries thousands of containers across the sea.
- The cruise ship docked at the port early in the morning to let the passengers explore the city.
- Historical accounts of the expedition describe a massive wooden ship that struggled against the gale-force winds of the Atlantic before finally reaching the safety of the harbor.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.