shipping
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the amount of money you pay to have an item delivered to you.
n.the fee charged by a carrier or retailer for the postal or courier delivery of a purchased item.
Simple“I wanted to buy the shoes, but the shipping was too expensive.”
In context“The total price at checkout includes the base cost of the product plus international shipping and local import taxes.”
Synonymspostagedelivery fee - 02 C1 Advanced
n.all the ships belonging to a particular country or used in a specific area.
n.the body of ships belonging to a nation, port, or industry; a collective noun for maritime vessels.
Simple“The lighthouse was built to protect local shipping from the dangerous rocks.”
In context“The treaty was designed to ensure the safety of merchant shipping in international waters during the conflict.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.the act of supporting or wanting two characters or famous people to be in a relationship.
n.the activity of supporting a romantic or sexual relationship between fictional characters or real-life celebrities, often within an online community.
Simple“The shipping of the two main characters became a huge topic on social media.”
In context“Fan fiction writers often engage in shipping, creating elaborate alternative universes where their favourite characters finally end up together.”
UsageDerived from the word 'relationship'.
Teacher's tipThis is very common in online fan communities and social media; it is rarely used in professional or formal contexts.
Synonyms - 04 B1 Intermediate
v.the act of putting goods onto a vehicle to be sent away.
v.the present participle of 'ship', referring to the physical act of dispatching goods or personnel.
Simple“The warehouse staff are busy shipping orders before the holiday weekend.”
In context“The manufacturer is currently shipping the new model to retailers across the country to meet the anticipated launch date.”
SynonymsAntonyms
Usage shipping route · shipping routes
“The low levels of the Danube, Europe’s second-longest river, have also severely affected shipping along its 2,850km (1,770 mile) route stretching from western Germany to the Black Sea.”
“The deadly strikes are part of a long-running maritime battle with Ukraine and echo battles over other key shipping routes around the world.”
From Middle English schipping, schyppynge, from schippen, schipen (“to take ship, navigate”), from Old English scipian (“to take ship; put in order, equip, man a ship”), equivalent to ship + -ing.
From ship + -ing.
Clipping of relationshipping.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.