Superdreadnought

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Superdreadnought \Su`per*dread"nought`\, n.
     See {Dreadnought}, above.
     [Webster 1913 Suppl.] Supereminence

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Dreadnought \Dread"nought`\, n.
     1. (Capitalized) A British battleship, completed in 1906 --
        1907, having an armament consisting of ten 12-inch guns
        mounted in turrets, and of twenty-four 12-pound quick-fire
        guns for protection against torpedo boats. This was the
        first battleship of the type characterized by a main
        armament of big guns all of the same caliber. She had a
        displacement of 17,900 tons at load draft, and a speed of
        21 knots per hour.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     2. Any battleship having its main armament entirely of big
        guns all of one caliber. Since the Dreadnought was built,
        the caliber of the heaviest guns has increased from 12 in.
        to 131/2 in., 14 in., and 15 in., and the displacement of
        the largest batteships from 18,000 tons to 30,000 tons and
        upwards. The term {superdreadnought} is popularly applied
        to battleships with such increased displacement and gun
        caliber. [Also spelled {dreadnaught}.]
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]