gunboat

Everyday

1. A small warship with big guns, used especially on rivers or near the coast. tree →
2. «Gunboat diplomacy» means a strong country forcing weaker ones to agree by threatening to use its navy or army. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons about the British Empire and the 1800s, gunboats patrolled rivers in China and Africa, and «gunboat diplomacy» describes bullying by powerful countries.

Examples

• A gunboat sailed up the river. tree →
• The navy sent two gunboats to guard the harbour. tree →
• The gunboat's guns pointed at the shore. tree →
• Historians call this «gunboat diplomacy». tree →
• Gunboats were used in the Opium Wars in China. tree →
• The model gunboat had tiny cannons. tree →

Note

Countable; one word.