ship (shĭp)
n.

1. 1. A vessel of considerable size for deep-water navigation.
   2. A sailing vessel having three or more square-rigged masts.
2. An aircraft or spacecraft.
3. The crew of one of these vessels.
4. One's fortune: When my ship comes in, I'll move to a larger house.

v., shipped, ship·ping, ships.

v.tr.

1. To place or receive on board a ship: shipped the cargo in the hold.
2. To cause to be transported by or as if by ship; send. See synonyms at send¹.
3. To place (a ship's mast or rudder, for example) in its working position.
4. 1. To bring into a ship or boat: ship an anchor.
   2. To place (an oar) in a resting position inside a boat without removing it from the oarlock.
5. To hire (a person) for work on a ship.
6. To take in (water) over the side of a ship.

v.intr.

1. To go aboard a ship; embark.
2. To travel by ship.
3. To hire oneself out or enlist for service on a ship.

phrasal verb:

ship out

1. To accept a position on board a ship and serve as a crew member: shipped out on a tanker.
2. To leave, as for a distant place: troops shipping out to the war zone.
3. To send, as to a distant place.
4. Informal. To quit, resign from, or otherwise vacate a position: Shape up or ship out.

idiom:

tight ship

1. A well-managed and efficient business, household, or organization: We run a tight ship.

[Middle English, from Old English scip.]

shippable ship'pa·ble adj.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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