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corvette definition

cor·vette (kôr vet′)

noun

  1. a former sailing warship larger than a sloop and smaller than a frigate, usually with one tier of guns
  2. a fast warship smaller than a destroyer and used chiefly for convoy duty

Etymology: Fr, prob. < MDu korver, pursuit ship < MLG korf, kind of boat, basket < L corbis, basket: see corbeil

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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