armada
(ɑːˈmɑːdə, formerly ɑːˈmeɪdə)
Also 6–7 armado, 7 armatho, armade, 7–8 armata.
[a. Sp. armada, cogn. w. Eng. army (used in same sense), F. armée, It. armata:—L. armāta, pa. pple. of armā-re to arm, used in Rom. langs. as n. = ‘armed force, army, navy, fleet.’ At first used in erroneous form armado; also in the adapted form armade (see -ado and -ade), and It. form armata.]
1. A fleet of ships of war.
† (α) in forms armado, armade. Obs.
| 1533 M. Kyng in Ellis Orig. Lett. ii. 108 II. 46 The Turks Armado was before Coron. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. iii. ii. 140 Spaine..sent whole Armadoes of Carrects to be ballast at her nose. 1604 Edmonds Observ. Cæsar's Comm. 56 Such huge armades, as appeareth by the sea fight with the maritimate cities of Gallia. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. (1729) I. 27 When the Armado lyeth at Portabell. |
† (β) in form armada.
| 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. 217 These ships be..guarded with the Armada of the Portugals. 1606 Holland Sueton. Annot. 11 The sumptuous Armada of Antonie and Cleopatra was defaited. 1809 J. Barlow Columb. vii. 547 The matcht armadas still the fight maintain. 1815 Scott Ld. of Isles v. xiii, South and by west the armada bore. |
† (γ) in form armata. Obs.
| 1683 T. Smith Observ. Constant. in Misc. Cur. (1708) III. 46 He puts to Sea with his Armata of Gallies. 1697 Phil. Trans. XIX. 661 The great Defeat given the Turkish Armata..by the Venetians. 1753 Chambers Cycl. Supp., Armada or Armata. |
2. spec. The ‘Invincible Armada’ sent by Philip II of Spain against England in 1588.
| 1588 D. Archdeacon Of the Armie 14 The forces of the Spaniards, this their great Armado. 1603 Eng. Mourn. Garm. in Harl. Misc. (1793) 205 The Spaniards, having their armatho ready. 1641 Milton Reform. ii. (1851) 69 The proud Ship-wracks of the Spanish Armado. 1860 Macaulay (title), The Armada. 1864 Burton Scot Abr. I. iv. 187 Within eighteen months after the death of Mary, the Armada was in the Channel. |
† 3. A single large war-vessel. Obs.
| 1586 Lanc. Lieuten. ii. 177 Viij armadoes or greate shippes. 1662 Fuller Worthies iii. 84 He sunk and took nine Spanish ships, whereof one was an Armada of 600 Tunn. |
4. An armament generally.
| 1728 Morgan Algiers I. iv. 153 The mighty Armadas set on Foot by the Saracen Khalifas. 1837 Lytton Athens II. 121 Nor was the naval unworthy of the land armada. |