man of war

English

Noun

man of war (plural men of war)

1. Alternative form of man-of-war
   • 1633 February 9 (Gregorian calendar), James Howell, “XI. To Sir Arthur Ingram, at York.”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. , 3rd edition, volume I, London: Humphrey Mosley, , published 1655, →OCLC, section VI, page 233:

     [W]e cannot be ſecure, vvhile ſuch huge Fleets of Men of VVar, both Spaniſh, French, Dutch, and Dunkirkeers, ſome of them laden vvith Ammunition, Men, Arms, and Armies, do daily ſail on our Seas, and confront the Kings Chambers; […]

   • 1657, Richard Ligon, “”, in A True & Exact History of the Island of Barbados. , London: Humphrey Moseley, , →OCLC, page 61:

     But there is a Bird they call, a Man of vvar, and he is much bigger than a Heron, and flies out to Sea upon diſcoveries, (for they never light upon the Sea) to ſee vvhat ſhips are comming to the Iland; and vvhen they return the Ilanders look out, and ſay, A ſhip is comming, and finde it true.

   • 1661 August 6 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “July 27th, 1661”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys , volume II, London: George Bell & Sons ; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1893, →OCLC, page 71:

     In the lobby I spoke with Mr. George Montagu, and advised about a ship to carry my Lord Hinchingbroke and the rest of the young gentlemen to France, and they have resolved of going in a hired vessell from Rye, and not in a man of war.

   • 1748, [Tobias Smollett], chapter XXXIII, in The Adventures of Roderick Random. , volume I, London: [William Strahan] for J. Osborn , →OCLC, page 292:

     [W]e ventured up to the mouth of the inner harbour, […] the entrance of the harbour blocked up by ſeveral old galleons and tvvo men of vvar that the enemy had ſunk in the channel.

   • 1839 May – 1840 February, Ikey Solomons, Jun. [pseudonym; William Makepeace Thackeray], “Catherine: A Story. Chapter VI. The Adventures of the Ambassador, Mr. Macshane.”, in Catherine: A Story. Little Travels. The Fitz-Boodle Papers. etc. etc. (Works of William Makepeace Thackeray in Twenty-four Volumes; 22), London: Smith, Elder and Co., , published 1869, →OCLC, page 79:

     In an hour more, the whole house was awakened by a violent noise of howling, curses, and pots clattering to and fro. […] [T]he landlord was undermost, and the Ensign's arms were working up and down his face and body like the flaps of a paddle-wheel: the man of war had clearly the best of it.

   • 1869, R[ichard] D[oddridge] Blackmore, chapter XVI, in Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor. , volume III, London: Sampson Low, Son, & Marston, , →OCLC, page 241:

     [T]he distinguished man of war, and worshipful scholar, Master Bloxham, was now promoted to take the tolls, and catch all the rebels around our part.