Ironclad (Noun)
Meaning
A wooden warship of the 19th century that is plated with iron or steel armor.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The ironclad USS Monitor was designed by Swedish-American engineer and inventor John Ericsson during the American Civil War.
- Germany built the ironclad SMS Prinz Eugen as part of its growing High Seas Fleet in the late 19th and early 20th centuries but initially it was launched as pre-dreadnought class battleship and would be de-commissioned prior to WW2.
- The introduction of the ironclad marked the beginning of a new era in naval warfare and would revolutionize ship design and battles at sea.
- The first combat between two ironclads in naval warfare took place during the American Civil War between the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia.
- During the Crimean War the French launched Gloire which was the first ironclad battleship that gained broad public notice, and largely inspired other navies around the world to build similar warships.