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Definition

Noun

  • A large group of ships.

Origin

Used since at least the 16th century in the modern sense. Originally from the Anglo-Saxon word fleot, for fleet, and in many other languages.

Comments

There is generally no specific number of vessels that constitute a fleet. The term can refer to a group of vessels, both organizationally, or operating together tactically. For example, a nation’s entire body of naval vessels can be termed a fleet (e.g. the British fleet), or a group of vessels owned by a shipping company.

A fleet can also refer to a group of vessels operating in a specific area (e.g. the U.S. Pacific Fleet, 5th Fleet, British Home Fleet, or Russian Black Sea Fleet).

References

Kemp, P. (1994). The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. Oxford University Press.

Rogers, J.G. (1985). Origins of Sea Terms. Mystic Seaport.