paravane

[par-uh-veyn]

par·a·vane

[par-uh-veyn]
noun
an underwater defensive device against mines, consisting of a pair of torpedo-shaped vanes towed at the bow of a ship, usually a minesweeper, by cables that can cut the cable of a moored mine, causing the mine to rise to the surface, where it can be destroyed or removed from the water.

Origin:
1915–20; para-1 + vane
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Paravane is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
Collins
World English Dictionary
paravane (ˈpærəˌveɪn)
 
n
a torpedo-shaped device towed from the bow of a vessel so that the cables will cut the anchors of any moored mines
 
[C20: from para-² + vane]

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