steamship
n. countable B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈstimˌʃɪp// UK //stˈiːmʃɪp// steamship
n. a large ship that moves using power from a steam engine. These were very common in the 1800s and early 1900s for carrying people and goods across the ocean.
n. a large vessel propelled by a steam engine, typically driving a paddle wheel or propeller. Historically significant for enabling reliable transoceanic travel regardless of wind conditions.
The steamship crossed the Atlantic in record time.
Before the invention of modern jet engines, the steamship was the primary way for immigrants to travel to the Americas.
The transition from sail to the steamship revolutionized global trade by allowing merchants to maintain strict delivery schedules that were previously impossible due to unpredictable weather patterns.
From steam + ship.