'Man-of-war' definitions:
Definition of 'man-of-war'
(from WordNet)
noun
A warship intended for combat [syn: man-of-war, ship of the line]
noun
Large siphonophore having a bladderlike float and stinging tentacles [syn: Portuguese man-of-war, man-of-war, jellyfish]
Definition of 'Man-of-war'
From: GCIDE
- Man-of-war \Man`-of-war"\, n; pl. Men-of-war.
- 1. A government vessel employed for the purposes of war, esp. one of large size; a ship of war. [WordNet sense 1]
- Syn: ship of the line. [1913 Webster]
- 2. The Portuguese man-of-war.
- Syn: Syn. --, jellyfish. [WordNet 1.5]
- Man-of-war hawk (Zool.), the frigate bird.
- Man-of-war's man, a sailor serving in a ship of war.
- Portuguese man-of-war (Zool.), any species of the genus Physalia; it is a hydrozoan having both medusa and polyp stages present in a single colony. It floats on the surface of the sea by a buoyant bladderlike structure, from which dangle multiple long tentacles with stinging cells. Its can cause severe rashes when it comes in contact with humans swimming in the area. See Physalia. [1913 Webster]