merchant navy

English

Noun

merchant navy (plural merchant navies)

1. A civilian maritime fleet dedicated to the sea transport of goods and merchandise; especially, such a fleet of any particular nationality.
   • 2021 September 8, Dr Joseph Brennan, “Electric tramways at the heart of our seaside story”, in RAIL, number 939, page 57:

     Owing to its location at the entrance to the River Tyne, South Shields was of strategic importance in the Second World War, especially to the merchant navy, and the town was heavily hit by a Luftwaffe strike in October 1941.

Synonyms

• merchant fleet, merchant marine

Translations

civilian naval fleet

• Dutch: handelsvloot (nl) f or m
• Finnish: kauppalaivasto
• French: marine marchande (fr) f
• Georgian: სავაჭრო ფლოტი (savač̣ro ploṭi)
• German: Handelsmarine (de) f, Handelsflotte (de) f
• Greek: εμπορικός στόλος (emporikós stólos)
• Italian: marina mercantile f
• Polish: flota handlowa f
• Portuguese: marinha mercante f
• Spanish: marina mercante f