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Q-ship
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
English
Etymology
Short for en Queenstown (now en Cobh) in Ireland, the home port of the British Q-ships, when they were first implemented in World War I.
Noun
en military historical A merchant ship with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks.
en 2005 Spencer Tucker; Priscilla Mary Roberts World War I: Encyclopedia ABC-Clio 9781851094202 956 https://books.google.com/books?id=En4RAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Q-ships%22&dq=%22Q-ships%22&hl=&cd=40&source=gbs_api Q-ships were usually armed with one 4-inch and two 12-pounder guns. These were hidden behind hinged bulwarks, inside false superstructures and false deck cargoes, or under dummy lifeboats.
Synonyms
en Q-boat
Hypernyms
en armed merchantman merchantman
en terms derived from toponyms