na·vy

[ney-vee]
noun, plural na·vies.
1.
the whole body of warships and auxiliaries belonging to a country or ruler.
2.
( often initial capital letter ) the complete body of such warships together with their officers and enlisted personnel, equipment, yards, etc., constituting the sea power of a nation.
3.
( often initial capital letter ) the department of government charged with its management.
5.
Archaic. a fleet of ships.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English navie < Middle French < Vulgar Latin *navia, equivalent to Latin nāv(is) ship + -ia -y3

pro·na·vy, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To navy
00:10
Navy is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Collins
World English Dictionary
navy (ˈneɪvɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -vies
1.  the warships and auxiliary vessels of a nation or ruler
2.  (often capital) the navy the branch of a country's armed services comprising such ships, their crews, and all their supporting services and equipment
3.  short for navy blue
4.  archaic, literary or a fleet of ships
5.  (as modifier): a navy custom
 
[C14: via Old French from Vulgar Latin nāvia (unattested) ship, from Latin nāvis ship]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

navy
early 14c., "fleet of ships, especially for purposes of war," from O.Fr. navie "fleet, ship," from L. navigia, pl. of navigium "vessel, boat," from navis "ship" (see naval). Meaning "a nation's collective, organized sea power" is from 1540. The O.E. words were sciphere (usually
of Viking invaders) and scipfierd (usually of the home defenses). Navy blue was the color of the British naval uniform.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
It did so by announcing four years ago its intention to convert the country's
  navy to a fleet powered by electric motors.
These might run down at night and inflict great damage upon us before they
  could be sunk or captured by our navy.
Anchor a crisp navy- and-white decorating scheme with a pair of streamlined
  armchairs.
Navy eyeliner rimmed her beautiful blue eyes, and pancake foundation created a
  monotone complexion.
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT