caravel

caravel
/kar"euh vel'/, n.
a small Spanish or Portuguese sailing vessel of the Middle Ages and later, usually lateen-rigged on two or three masts.
Also, carvel.
[1520-30; < MF car(a)velle < Pg caravela, equiv. to cárav(o) kind of ship ( < LL carabus a small wicker boat < Gk kárabos skiff, crayfish) + -ela dim. suffix]

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ship
 a light sailing ship of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries in Europe, much-used by the Spanish and Portuguese for long voyages. Apparently developed by the Portuguese for exploring the coast of Africa, the caravel's chief excellence lay in its capacity for sailing to windward. It was also capable of remarkable speed. Two of the three ships in which Christopher Columbus made his historic voyage in 1492 were caravels, the Niña and the Pinta.

      The design of caravels underwent changes over the years, but a typical caravel of the late 15th century may be described as a broad-beamed vessel of 50 or 60 tons burden; some were as large as 160 tons. About 75 feet (23 m) long, the typical caravel had two or three pole masts, lateen-rigged (i.e., with triangular sails). Later versions added a fourth mast with square sail for running before the wind. Caravels were usually built with a double tower at the stern (the aftercastle, or sterncastle) and a single tower in the bow (the forecastle). As a type, caravels were smaller and lighter than the Spanish galleons of the 16th century.

      In later years the term caravel was applied to small fishing boats along the coast of France and to a Turkish man-of-war (naval ship).

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Caravel — Car a*vel (k[a^]r [.a]*v[e^]l), n. [F. caravelle (cf. It. caravella, Sp. carabela), fr. Sp. caraba a kind of vessel, fr. L. carabus a kind of light boat, fr. Gr. ka rabos a kind of light ship, NGr. kara bi ship, vessel.] [written also {carvel}… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Caravel — Nom porté dans le Sud Est (06, 83). Variante : Caraveu. C est un toponyme désignant un gouffre, un précipice (variante de l occitan caravenc) ou tout simplement un creux (occitan caravèl = creux, cavité, souvent employé pour un creux d arbre… …   Noms de famille

  • caravel — 1520s, from M.Fr. caravelle (15c.), from Port. caravela, dim. of caravo small vessel, from L.L. carabus small wicker boat covered with leather, from Gk. karabos, lit. beetle, lobster …   Etymology dictionary

  • caravel — (also carvel) ► NOUN historical ▪ a small, fast Spanish or Portuguese ship of the 15th 17th centuries. ORIGIN Portuguese caravela, from Greek karabos horned beetle or light ship …   English terms dictionary

  • caravel — [kar′ə vel΄] n. [MFr < Port caravela, dim. of caravo, small vessel < LL carabus, small wicker boat covered with leather < L, kind of crab < Gr karabos] any of several kinds of fast, small sailing ships, esp. one with a narrow, high… …   English World dictionary

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