Question

The following three compound words end in -ship. What does each of them mean?

airship

flagship

lightship

Answer 1

1. Airship: a large aircraft without wings, filled with a gas which is lighter than air, and driven by engines.

2. Flagship:

(i) The main ship in a fleet of ships in the navy.

(ii) The most important product, service, building, etc. that an organization owns or produces, e.g. The company is opening a new flagship store in Gurgaon.

3. Lightship: a small ship that stays at a particular place at sea and that has a powerful light on it to warn and guide other ships.