noun
armada
ar-MAH-duh/ɑːrˈmɑːdə/
A large fleet of ships or other vehicles.
A vast armada of sailing warships stretches across the sea.
Etymology
An “armed force” became specifically a fleet of warships. The selected meaning also extends that fleet image to a large group of other vehicles.
In context
The Armada's commander, the Duke of Medina Sidonia, had ordered his fleet into a great crescent, its horns sweeping forward on either flank, its strongest warships anchoring each tip.
More examples
- The admiral commanded a powerful armada.
- An armada of trucks carried supplies toward the city.
- Two rival armadas faced each other across the bay.
Forms
armada · armadas