: a carpenter skilled in ship construction and repair

Examples of shipwright in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The average man-of-war was estimated by a leading shipwright to last only fourteen years. David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023 It was built by eighth-generation Portuguese shipwrights using the same methods and tools as the original, according to a press release. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 31 May 2023 The caps proved popular with dockworkers, shipwrights and bandits, and, over time, the baker boy hat became synonymous with the newsboy cap (which was actually worn by boys working at newsstands). Rosa Rahimi, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025 In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the river was a bustling hub of trade, crime and traffic, with sailors, merchants, shipwrights, dockworkers, ropemakers, lightermen, fishers and oyster wives rubbing shoulders on its banks. Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shipwright

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shipwright was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Shipwright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shipwright. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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