merchant navy
Civilian shipping vessels
The merchant navy is a nation's commercial shipping fleet—the cargo ships, tankers, and passenger vessels engaged in trade rather than warfare.
Crews serving on these ships are merchant mariners.
During wartime, merchant navies often support military operations by transporting supplies: His grandfather served in the merchant navy during World War II.
The term is more common in British than American English, where merchant marine is preferred.
Vessel for transporting goods
- freighterVessel for transporting goods
- tankerVessel for liquid bulk
- container shipVessel carrying standardized freight boxes
- linerInner protective covering
oil tanker · ferry · tramp steamer · coaster · supertanker
Seafaring crew member
- marinerOne who navigates ships
- seamanOne who works ships
- deckhandShip's manual laborer
- officerAuthority figure in uniform
captain · shipmaster · chief engineer · bosun · quartermaster · purser · cadet · ratings
Transported goods
- freightGoods being transported
- shippingTransporting goods to destinations
- portDocking place for ships
- harborSafe anchorage for ships
dock · berth · mooring · quay · wharf · stevedore · manifest · lading
Guarded traveling group
- Atlantic crossingSea voyage between continents
- U-boatUndersea warship from Germany
- torpedoedHit by naval explosive
- troopshipShip carrying military personnel
blockade running · casualties · requisitioned · escort · submarine warfare · supply lines · D-Day
British colonial trading corporation
- clipper shipsFast sailing cargo vessels
- maritime tradeCommerce via ocean vessels
- trade routesPaths for exchanging goods
- CunardHistoric steamship line
transatlantic · spice trade · tea clipper · windjammer · ocean liner · mail ship
cargo ship
Vessel for transporting goods
- freighterVessel for transporting goods
- tankerVessel for liquid bulk
- container shipVessel carrying standardized freight boxes
liner · oil tanker · ferry · tramp steamer · coaster · supertanker
sailor
Seafaring crew member
officer · captain · shipmaster · chief engineer · bosun · quartermaster · purser · cadet · ratings · able seaman
cargo
Transported goods
harbor · dock · berth · mooring · quay · wharf · stevedore · manifest · lading · consignment
convoy
Guarded traveling group
- Atlantic crossingSea voyage between continents
- U-boatUndersea warship from Germany
- torpedoedHit by naval explosive
troopship · blockade running · casualties · requisitioned · escort · submarine warfare · supply lines · D-Day
East India Company
British colonial trading corporation
- clipper shipsFast sailing cargo vessels
- maritime tradeCommerce via ocean vessels
- trade routesPaths for exchanging goods
Cunard · transatlantic · spice trade · tea clipper · windjammer · ocean liner · mail ship
voyage
Journey by sea
- helmVessel's steering mechanism
- compassDevice showing cardinal directions
- sextantMaritime angular measurement device
charts · bridge · radar · GPS · dead reckoning · knots · nautical mile · bearing · course · starboard
- maritime historysailors, ships, seamen, sailing ships, celestial navigation
- Maritime Industryshipping lines, container ships, steamships, sea charts, port authorities
- maritime tradesea trade, container ships, cargo ship, shipping routes, ocean trade
- Asian Shippingcargo ships, container ships, cargo vessels, oil tankers, tankers
- British Tradetrade balance, trade deficit, trade surplus, export markets, colonial trade
- Canadian WartimeCanadian Army, D-Day, enlistment, home front, homefront
merchant navynavy
Maritime military force
warships · naval fleet · battle fleet · Royal Navy · US Navy
navy, merchant, commercial, merchandise, marketed, merchants, merchantman, merchantmen