any of several kinds of fast, small sailing ships, esp. one with a narrow, high poop and lateen sails, used by the Spaniards and Portuguese in the 15th and 16th cent.
See caravel in American Heritage Dictionary 4
or car·a·velle(kărˈə-vĕlˌ) also car·vel(kärˈvəl, -vĕlˌ)
noun Nautical
Any of several types of small, light sailing ships, especially one with two or three masts and lateen sails used by the Spanish and Portuguese in the 15th and 16th centuries.