destroyer

/dəˈstɹɔɪ.ɚ/

destroyer means that which destroys something.

destroyer is pronounced /dəˈstɹɔɪ.ɚ/.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English destroyour, destroyere; By surface analysis, destroy + -er. Designating a warship, it is ellipsis of torpedo-boat destroyer, the longer term appearing at the end of the 19th century and the shorter form early in the 20th.

noun

That which destroys something.e.g.“But it is as a destroyer of grasshoppers that the dickcissel excels.” — 1901, Sylvester D. Judd, The Relation of Sparrows to Agriculture, page 91:
A small, fast warship with light gun armament, smaller than a cruiser, but bigger than a frigate.
A larger warship with guided missile armament, usually intended for air defence or anti-ship roles. Often, but not always, larger than a frigate and smaller than a cruiser.
A larger warship with guided missile armament, usually intended for air defence or anti-ship roles. Often, but not always, larger than a frigate and smaller than a cruiser.; A starship of comparable role.

Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Words closest in meaning

By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.

destructor 78% match — One who destructs. vs destroyer →
destroyal 76% match — Destruction. vs destroyer →
destruction 76% match — The act of destroying. vs destroyer →
destruct 72% match — To intentionally cause the destruction of. vs destroyer →
devastator 71% match — one who devastates. vs destroyer →
deletery 71% match — destroyer. vs destroyer →
destroy 70% match — To damage beyond use or repair; to damage (something) to the point that it effectively ceases to exist. vs destroyer →
destroyingly 70% match — In a way that destroys. vs destroyer →