: a German submarine

Examples of U-boat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web During raids, American crews of ten—including a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator, bombardier and gunners—engaged in daylight precision bombing, focusing on strategic targets like German aircraft factories, ball-bearing plants and U-boat pens. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Jan. 2024 Back then, however, the codebreakers in Bletchley Park were unable to decrypt U-boat radio traffic, due to the introduction of the newer and more complex four-rotor Enigma code machine, an upgrade from the three-rotor model. Cathy Alter, WIRED, 27 Aug. 2023 Drive along its coastline to find tiny fishing villages, old Yugoslav military U-boat bunkers, and Veli Rat – the Adriatic’s highest lighthouse at 135 feet. Mary Novakovich, CNN, 5 June 2023 Marine scientists from the University of Southern Mississippi are a key part of the search, which is using coordinates provided by the German U-boat as a starting point. Mark Price The Charlotte Observer (tns), al, 19 Apr. 2023 Markets glimmer with a startling variety, from baby cuttlefish to U-boat-sized tuna. Paul Ames, CNN, 5 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'U-boat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

translation of German U-boot, short for Unterseeboot, literally, undersea boat

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of U-boat was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near U-boat

Cite this Entry

“U-boat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/U-boat. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

U-boat

noun
ˈyü-ˈbōt
: a German submarine

More from Merriam-Webster on U-boat

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