# ship

> large buoyant watercraft

**Wikidata**: [Q11446](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11446)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ship

## Summary
A ship is a large buoyant watercraft — a watercraft type built for locomotion on or in the water and generally larger than a boat. Ships are transport vehicles and come in many specialized classes and roles (civilian passenger and cargo vessels, naval warships, auxiliary ships, research and support vessels, historical types and replicas).

## Key Facts
- Definition: Ship is described as a "large buoyant watercraft" and is an instance of a watercraft type.
- Classification: subclass_of transport vehicle; instance_of watercraft type.
- Lexical identifier: lex_id = "skib".
- Common aliases: vessel, marine vessel, water vessel, ships, barcos, navío, navíos, Schiffe, 大型船, 輪船, судно.
- Sitelink presence: sitelink_count = 182.
- Wikipedia title: "Ship".
- Wikimedia images associated: Container ship Reecon Whale on Black Sea near Constanța; DANA_2004_ubt.jpeg (preferred); Model_of_a_greek_trireme.jpg.
- Has parts: hull and ship element.
- Has_part(s) (explicit): hull, ship element.
- Watercraft prefix noted: "HMS" (watercraft_prefix, qualifier  = ).
- Structured identifiers: freebase_id = /m/06q74 (reference date 2013-10-28); babelnet_id = 00071103n (qualifier: "Navi"); nalt_id = 51479; ne.se_id = skepp-(en-flottas-största-fartyg); topcmb_id = navio; yale_lux_id = concept/c0e7dd4c-cd2c-4758-b9ac-5c4883435972.
- Authority & thesaurus identifiers: ndl_authority_id = 00570714; rkd_thesaurus_id = 64306; art_&_architecture_thesaurus_id = 300082981 (publication_date 2015-06-01); encyclopædia_britannica_online_id = technology/ship; mesh_tree_code = J01.937.817 (qualifier  = ).
- Catalogue & thesauri: unesco_thesaurus_ids = concept4445, concept13218; thesaurus_for_graphic_materials_id = tgm009516; nomenclature_for_museum_cataloging = 12684; museum_digital_tag_id = 8886.
- Language and wiki scope: wikipedia_languages includes at least 140+ language editions (af, als, an, ann, anp, ar, arc, arz, ast, awa, az, azb, ba, bat_smg, be, be_x_old, bew, bg, bjn, bn, br, bs, ca, cdo, ckb, commons, cs, cv, cy, da, de, el, en, eo, es, et, eu, fa, fi, fiu_vro, fj, fr, frp, frr, fur, fy, ga, gan, gcr, gd, gl, glk, gn, ha, hak, he, hi, hif, hr, hu, hy, hyw, ia, id, ie, ik, io, is, it, ja, jv, ka, kbp, kcg, kge, kk, kn, ko, ku, ky, la, lb, lfn, li, lmo, ln, lo, lt, lv, mk, ml, mn, mni, mr, ms, my, mzn, nds, ne, new, nl, nn, no, nv, oc, olo, om, pa, pl, pms, pnb, ps, pt, qu, rmy, ro, ru, sah, sat, scn, sco, sd, sh, simple, sk, sl, sn, so, sq, sr, sv, sw, szl, szy, ta, te, tg, th, tl, to, tr, tt, tw, uk, ur, uz, vec, vep, vi, war, wuu, yi, za, zh, zh_classical, zh_min_nan, zh_yue).
- Topic and catalog metadata: topic's_main_category = Category:Ships; topic_has_template = Template:Infobox civil ship.
- Museum & gallery resources: commons_gallery value: "Ship" (reference ); images referenced in structured properties.
- Related concept distinctions: different_from = boat (reference to descriptive/disambiguation treatment on Wikipedia).
- Alternative thesauri and encyclopedias referencing the topic: described_by_source includes Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia; Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language, Second Edition; Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary; Bible Encyclopedia of Archimandrite Nicephorus; Small Brockhaus and Efron; Metropolitan Museum of Art Tagging Vocabulary; Meyers Konversations-Lexikon 4th ed.; 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Ship; The New Student's Reference Work/Ship; and several other reference items.
- Medical/subject coding: wordnet_3.1_synset_id = 04201332-n (and alternate 04098696-n with reference).
- Other topic identifiers: new_york_times_topic_id = subject/ships-and-shipping; jstor_topic_id_(archived) = ships; giant_bomb_id_(former_scheme) = 3035-2586.
- Notable classification/size terms linked: Panamax (class of ships sized to original Panama Canal locks; sitelink_count = 29); Post-Panamax (class too large to pass original Panama Canal; sitelink_count = 6); Baltimax (largest ship measurements capable of entering/leaving the Baltic Sea; sitelink_count = 12); Seawaymax (specification for St. Lawrence Seaway; sitelink_count = 14); Kamsarmax; Pansio-class, Kingston-class, Meteoro-class, Cassiopea-class, many other ship classes listed in parents.
- Related ship components and rooms explicitly present: deck (part of a ship or boat); bridge (room or platform from which a ship can be commanded); hull (watertight body of a ship or boat); porthole (round window).
- Safety/equipment & recording: voyage data recorder noted (data recording system used on vessels to comply with SOLAS Requirements; sitelink_count = 15); lifeboat (boat used primarily as emergency means; sitelink_count = 38).
- Types, roles and mission categories listed as parents or related: aircraft carrier (sitelink_count = 96); cargo ship (sitelink_count = 61); ferry (sitelink_count = 96); cruise ship (sitelink_count = 60); yacht (sitelink_count = 78); warship (sitelink_count = 79); hospital ship (sitelink_count = 43); corvette (sitelink_count = 58); destroyer tender; replenishment ship; depot ship; troopship; drillship; research/survey vessels; icebreakers; amphibious assault ship; river patrol craft; gunboat classes; fast attack craft; minelayer; pipe-laying ship; cable layer; floater types like flotel; powership; baris, bireme, galley and many historical ship types.
- Notable historical and museum connections: Dufuna canoe noted as second oldest ship in the world (country ; sitelink_count = 11). Several ancient and historic ship types and named historic ships appear in related lists (e.g., Viking ship, Great Michael, Syracusia, etc.).
- Community and curation identifiers: on_focus_list_of_wikimedia_project = Wikipedia:List of articles all languages should have (point_in_time 2022-10-31).
- Cataloging & archival ids: u.s._national_archives_identifier = 10644067; national_library_of_israel_j9u_id = 987007538853605171.

## FAQs
Q: What exactly is a ship compared to other watercraft?
A: A ship is defined here as a large buoyant watercraft and is an instance of a watercraft type; it is formally distinguished from "boat" in the source's different_from property. Ships are generally larger transport vehicles intended for locomotion on or in the water.

Q: What are the main categories and roles of ships?
A: Ships include many categories and roles such as cargo ships, passenger ferries and cruise ships, naval warships (aircraft carriers, corvettes, destroyers), auxiliary and support types (replenishment ships, depot ships, hospital ships), research and survey vessels, and specialized types like icebreakers, drillships, and pipe-laying ships.

Q: What are common structural parts and onboard spaces of a ship?
A: Core components listed include the hull (the watertight body), the deck, the bridge (command platform), portholes (round windows), and compartments. Ships also contain elements such as steering positions and wardroom spaces.

Q: What authoritative and catalogue identifiers exist for the subject "Ship"?
A: Identifiers shown include freebase_id (/m/06q74), babelnet_id (00071103n), lex_id (skib), nalt_id (51479), ndl_authority_id (00570714), rkd_thesaurus_id (64306), various thesaurus entries (e.g., UNESCO concept IDs), and an encyclopædia_britannica_online_id = technology/ship.

Q: How widely is the topic "Ship" represented across languages and resources?
A: The topic has a broad multilingual presence with a long list of Wikipedia language editions (over a hundred) and is included in many bibliographic, museum, thesaurus, and encyclopaedic sources such as Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 1911 Britannica, Metropolitan Museum of Art tagging vocabulary, and others.

Q: Which measurement classes and size constraints are associated with ships?
A: Ship size classes linked include Panamax (original Panama Canal limit), post-Panamax (too large for original locks), Baltimax (largest for Baltic Sea entry), Seawaymax (St. Lawrence Seaway), and other type classes like Kamsarmax.

Q: Where can images and media showing ships be found?
A: Wikimedia Commons images referenced include container ship Reecon Whale (Black Sea), DANA_2004_ubt.jpeg (preferred), and a model of a Greek trireme; commons_gallery is set to "Ship".

## Why It Matters
Ships are foundational to global transport, naval operations, commerce, exploration, and cultural history. They enable the mass movement of people, vehicles, cargo, and resources across oceans, seas, rivers and lakes, forming the backbone of international trade and supply chains. Naval and auxiliary ship types project national defense and humanitarian capability, while specialized ships support offshore construction, scientific research, weather monitoring, icebreaking, and deep-sea operations. Ships also embody technological evolutions (from ancient galleys and sail-powered vessels to steamships, diesel and nuclear-powered ships, and modern hybrid or hydrogen-fueled designs), and their design determines what maritime infrastructure (canals, locks, ports) can accommodate. Preservation and study of ships and shipwrecks inform archaeology, history, and museum collections. Finally, ships influence legal regimes, safety regulation (e.g., SOLAS compliance with voyage data recorders), and environmental considerations in shipping and marine operations.

## Notable For
- General definitional role: formally described as a "large buoyant watercraft" and treated as an instance of the watercraft type.
- Taxonomic breadth: includes or is parent to an extremely wide set of vessel types — from aircraft carriers and corvettes to ferries, cruise ships, cargo ships, and countless naval classes (e.g., Cassiopea-class, Meteoro-class, Kingston-class).
- Historical depth: connected to ancient types such as bireme, galley, baris, knarr, and Syracusia, and to historic individual ships and wrecks (e.g., Great Michael, Tek Sing, SS Yongala).
- Global and multilingual presence: extensive Wikipedia language coverage and presence in multiple authoritative thesauri and national libraries.
- Cross-domain identifiers: wide set of catalog, thesaurus and authority identifiers (Freebase, BabelNet, national authorities, art & architecture thesauri).
- Regulatory and safety tooling: explicit link to voyage data recorders used to comply with SOLAS and to lifeboat emergency procedures.
- Size and canal-class influence: associated with major shipping size classes (Panamax, post-Panamax, Seawaymax, Baltimax, Kamsarmax) that determine global shipping logistics and port infrastructure.

## Body

### Overview and Definition
- The subject "Ship" is labeled in the source with the wikidata_description "large buoyant watercraft."
- It is classified as an instance_of a watercraft type and is subclass_of transport vehicle.
- The lexeme/lex_id is recorded as "skib" and common aliases include "vessel" and language-specific forms such as barcos (Spanish), navío/navíos, Schiffe (German), 大型船 and 輪船 (Chinese variants), and судно (Russian).

### Core Components and Onboard Spaces
- Hull: explicitly listed as a part and as has_part; defined in the source as "watertight body of a ship or boat" (hulk/hull entries appear in parent/contains and multiple sitelink_count references).
- Deck: listed among parent/part items as "part of a ship or boat".
- Bridge: defined as "room or platform from which a ship can be commanded" and listed both in parent relationships and contained elements.
- Porthole: included as a ship part; common ship architectural element listed in parents.
- Compartment and wardroom: "compartment" is noted as a portion of the space within a ship; "wardroom" is a naval mess for commissioned officers and appears in the Part of/Parent list.
- Lifeboat: noted as primary emergency means of leaving a larger boat or ship in an emergency; sitelink_count = 38.
- Voyage Data Recorder: described as the data recording system used on vessels to comply with SOLAS Requirements; sitelink_count = 15.

### Types, Roles, and Specializations
- Civilian transport types: ferry, cruise ship, ocean liner, freight liner, ro-ro/passenger ferries, river cruise ships.
- Merchant and cargo types: cargo ship, vehicle carrier, self-unloading freighters, container ships (image example), tanker classes, factory ships, refrigerated and special-purpose merchant ships.
- Military and naval types: warship (general), surface combatant, aircraft carrier (primarily to carry and operate naval aircraft; sitelink_count = 96), corvette (independent combat and patrol; sitelink_count = 58), destroyer tender, destroyer escort, escort ship, capital ship, monitor, ironclad and pre-dreadnought battleships, frigates, torpedo boats, gunboats, minelayers, mine countermeasure vessels, amphibious assault ship, replenishment and ammunition ships, hospital ships.
- Specialized operational ships: drillships, pipe-laying ships, cable layers, tracking ships, weather ships, research and survey ships, bathyscaphes and deep-submergence support, powerships (floating power stations), flotel (floating living quarters), semi-submersible heavy-lift ships, pipe-laying vessels and rotor/rotorcraft-powered ships.
- Ice-capable and polar classes: icebreakers including Polar-class and Project 10510 references.
- Historical and ancient categories: galley (both oared ship and galley as kitchen onboard), bireme, trireme and other oared warships, knarr, Viking ship, medieval ships, carrack, galleass, and regional types such as baris, djong, fusta, fusta, and lembus.

### Classification, Size and Canal/Seaway Constraints
- Panamax: class of ships sized for the original Panama Canal locks (sitelink_count = 29).
- Post-Panamax: class for ships too large to pass through the original locks (sitelink_count = 6).
- Seawaymax: limit for St. Lawrence Seaway (sitelink_count = 14).
- Baltimax: largest ship measurements for the Baltic Sea (sitelink_count = 12).
- Other size classifications and named size-related hull types (Kamsarmax) are referenced among classification properties.

### Ship Classes and Examples (selected from parent/related entities)
- Multiple ship classes are listed as parents or related: Cassiopea-class patrol vessel; Kingston-class coastal defence vessel; Meteoro-class offshore patrol vessel (inception +2009); Yoon Youngha-class patrol vessel; Gepard-class fast attack craft; Azmat-class missile boat (inception +2011); Yaz-class river patrol craft; Runnymede-class large landing craft; Type 062 gunboat; Type 37 torpedo boat; Elbing-class torpedo boat; Ōtori-class torpedo boat; Polar-class icebreaker; Echo-class survey ship (inception +2002-03-04); Smolnyy-class training ship; Magar-class tank landing ship; Amphibious Transport Dock; and many others.
- Examples of named ships and classes among related entities: USS Petrel (PG-2), USNS Geiger, USS Hornet, RMS Quetta, MS Express Samina, HMS and many historic named vessels (e.g., Great Michael, Vostok, Tek Sing, SS Yongala).

### Historical Sources and Encyclopedic Coverage
- Ship as a topic is documented across multiple historic and modern references: 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica (Ship), Meyers Konversations-Lexikon (4th edition), Brockhaus and Efron, Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia, Metropolitan Museum of Art Tagging Vocabulary, the New Student's Reference Work, and other encyclopedic sources listed under described_by_source.

### Identifiers, Catalogs and Thesauri
- The subject has cross-disciplinary cataloging and thesaurus identifiers: art & architecture thesaurus id, UNESCO thesaurus ids, mesh_tree_code, TDV Encyclopedia of Islam id ("gemi"), and museum and national library identifiers (ndl_authority_id, national_library_of_israel_j9u_id).
- Digital and semantic web identifiers include Freebase (/m/06q74), BabelNet (00071103n), WordNet synset IDs (04201332-n and alternative 04098696-n), and a large number of internal project IDs (bbc_things_id, factgrid_item_id, etc.).

### Related Ships, Vessels, Projects, Builders and Organizations
- Extensive related list includes specific ships, classes, shipbuilding companies, and naval projects. Representative entries from the source include (but are not limited to):
  - Named ships: Vandal; Admiral Karpfanger; ICGV Ægir; SS Persic; Błotniak; SS Romanic; German auxiliary cruiser Widder; SS Sirio; German auxiliary cruiser Pinguin; Shabab Oman; SS Baron Gautsch; Armstrong Whitworth (manufacturer); Russian cruiser Askold; CSBC Corporation, Taiwan; USCGC Northland; Thalassa; EML Kalev; USS Princess Matoika; SS Morro Castle; SS Britannic; French aircraft carrier Verdun; USS Petrel; Keying; SS Canopic; SS Cretic; Girona; MV Dara; TK-17 Arkhangelsk; MS Galaxy I; EML Tasuja; Esperanza; RFA Sir Galahad; Fryderyk Chopin; Terets (ship, 1887); SMS Greif; SS Pacific; Hjortspring boat; MV Selendang Ayu; Karolin; HNoMS Tyr; Lady Juliana; USS Pelican; Rolf Krake; MV Rabaul Queen; MV Moscow University; PH 75; LÉ Eithne; SS Potrero del Llano; USS Suwanee; ORP Admirał Sierpinek; Ertuğrul; SMS Vulkan; MV Teratai Prima; MS Galaxy I; and many more.
  - Builders and manufacturers: Armstrong Whitworth; Mitsubishi Heavy Industries; Kawasaki Heavy Industries; Burmeister & Wain; Skaramangas Shipyards; Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation; Meyer Wismar; Samsung Heavy Industries; Wärtsilä Marine; ASMAR; CSBC Corporation Taiwan; Hitachi Maru references.
  - Programs and projects: Chinese aircraft carrier programme; Project 22160 patrol ship; Project 10510 icebreaker; Project 1178 amphibious assault ship; DDG (US Navy program to develop surface combatant vessels); Type 004 aircraft carrier; Sea Fighter experimental littoral combat ship.

### Examples of Ships and Incidents
- Shipwrecks, disasters, and notable events are referenced through related entities: SS Persic; SS Morro Castle (fire in September 1934); SS Britannic; SS Baron Gautsch; SS Wairarapa; MV Selendang Ayu (ran aground and destroyed 8 December 2004); MV Rabaul Queen (sunk 2012); Costa Fortuna; MS Stena Superfast VII; RMS Quetta; SS Yongala (shipwreck in Queensland); and other historically notable vessels named in the related list.

### Cultural, Archaeological and Museum Links
- Archaeological/historic artifacts include Dufuna canoe (second oldest ship), Kyrenia ship (ancient Greek merchant ship wreck), Hjortspring boat, Nemi ships (ancient Roman ships found 1929), and many museum ships (e.g., BAE Abdón Calderón, HMAS Bungaree as auxiliary minelayer, and CCGS Bradbury museum ship).
- Ship replicas and reconstructions appear (e.g., French frigate Hermione, Jeanie Johnston replica, Cilicia replica of a 13th-century merchant ship).

### Safety, Regulation and Equipment
- SOLAS-related equipment: voyage data recorder is explicitly referenced as the data recording system to comply with SOLAS.
- Lifesaving: lifeboat is listed as an emergency leaving craft.
- Shipboard architecture and roles affecting safety: bridge and wheelhouse roles; evacuation slide (listed as item used on vehicles, aircraft, ship or elevated locations).

### Ship-Related Infrastructure and Operations
- Port and canal limitations: Panamax, Post-Panamax, Seawaymax, Baltimax categories influence ship design and operational constraints.
- Support and auxiliary roles: depot ships, replenishment ships, combat stores ships, repair ships, rescue and salvage, tracking ships for missiles/spacecraft tracking.

### Scholarly, Catalog and Media Presence
- The topic is indexed in editorial and library systems (Encyclopædia Britannica entry technology/ship; Yale lux id; New York Times topic id; JSTOR topic id; Metropolitan Museum tagging).
- It is included among Wikimedia project priorities and is widely covered across Wikipedia language editions.

### Notable Lists and Subject Cross-References
- The entry connects to many named ship classes and specific vessels (a non-exhaustive but extensive list is included in the related items section of the source). Ship remains central to naval history, maritime trade and maritime cultural heritage.

### Related Technical and Theoretical Topics
- Concepts like "Ship of Theseus" (philosophical thought experiment on identity persistence with ships) are referenced among related entities.
- Engineering and propulsion: nuclear-powered ships, hydrogen ships, rotor ships and steamships are listed as types or technologies associated with ships.

### Miscellaneous Metadata and Catalog Entries
- topic_has_template: Template:Infobox civil ship; commons_gallery: "Ship"; vikidia_article_id: fr:Navire; klexikon_article_id: Schiff; factgrid_item_id referenced; on_focus_list_of_wikimedia_project status noted (point_in_time 2022-10-31).
- Other identifiers: giant lists of catalog and thesaurus ids (elkst, elsst, art & architecture thesaurus, thesaurus_linguae_aegyptiae, etc.) and multiple museum and library cross-references are present in the source.

### Representative Related Entities (selection from provided related list)
- The source lists hundreds of related ships and topics. Representative named items include: Vandal; Admiral Karpfanger; ICGV Ægir; SS Persic; Błotniak; SS Romanic; Widder; SS Sirio; Pinguin; Shabab Oman; SS Baron Gautsch; Armstrong Whitworth; Askold; CSBC Corporation Taiwan; USCGC Northland; Thalassa; EML Kalev; USS Princess Matoika; SS Morro Castle; SS Britannic; Verdun; USS Petrel; Keying; SS Canopic; Girona; MV Dara; MS Galaxy I; Esperanza; RFA Sir Galahad; Fryderyk Chopin; and many others enumerated in the related section of the source material.

(End of entry. All claims above are derived directly from the provided source material.)

## References

1. Nuovo soggettario
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. Watercraft types. 2015
4. BBC Things
5. YSO-Wikidata mapping project. 2024
6. BabelNet
7. Quora
8. FactGrid
9. National Library of Israel
10. KBpedia
11. GF WordNet