Argosy
name, noun ·3 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A merchant ship.
- 2 one or more large merchant ships wordnet
- 3 A merchant flotilla, fleet.
"Gremio, 'tis known my father hath no less Than three great argosies, besides two galliasses, And twelve tight galleys; these I will assure her, And twice as much, whate'er thou offer'st next."
- 4 An abundant supply, boatload.
"The wreck was total—as total as that ever is which trusts its all to one argosy."
- 1 Popular anglicism of the Argonautika of Apollonios Rhodios.
"Roger chuckled. "I hope you don't think I'm a mere highbrow," he said. "As a customer said to me once, without meaning to be funny, `I like both the Iliad and the Argosy.' The only thing I can't stand is literature that is unfairly and intentionally flavoured with vanilla. Confectionery soon disgusts the palate, whether you find it in Marcus Aurelius or Doctor Crane."
Example
More examples"Balancing work and life can seem like an impossible task. Meeting the demands of family, children, work, and personal health can feel like climbing a greased pole. But Argosy University Associate Professor Nancy Aragon has some tips to achieving work-life balance."
Etymology
Alteration of Italian ragusea (“a large ship”), after the maritime city of Ragusa, now Dubrovnik.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.