fleet

  1. Proper noun.  The stream that ran where Fleet Street now runs.
  2. Proper noun.  A former prison in London, which originally stood near the stream.
  3. Noun.  A group of vessels or vehicles.
  4. Noun.  (nautical) A number of vessels in company, especially war vessels; also, the collective naval force of a country, etc.
  5. Noun.  (context, nautical) Any command of vessels exceeding a squadron in size, or a rear-admiral's command, composed of five sail-of-the-line, with any number of smaller vessels.
  6. Noun.  (context, nautical) A flood; a creek or inlet, a bay or estuary, a river subject to the tide.
  7. Noun.  (nautical) A location, as on a navigable river, where barges are secured.
  8. Verb.  (obsolete) To float.
  9. Verb.  To pass over rapidly; to skim the surface of.
  10. Verb.  To hasten over; to cause to pass away lightly, or in mirth and joy.
  11. Verb.  (nautical) To move up a rope, so as to haul to more advantage; especially to draw apart the blocks of a tackle.
  12. Verb.  (context, nautical) To shift the position of dead-eyes when the shrouds are become too long.
  13. Verb.  To cause to slip down the barrel of a capstan or windlass, as a rope or chain.
  14. Verb.  To take the cream from; to skim.
  15. Adjective.  Swift in motion; moving with velocity; light and quick in going from place to place; nimble; fast.
  16. Adjective.  Light; superficially thin; not penetrating deep, as soil.

This is an unmodified, but possibly outdated, definition from Wiktionary and used here under the Creative Commons license. Wiktionary is a great resource. If you like it too, please donate to Wikimedia.

This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.