1.
warship; battleship; naval vessel
A ship built and used for military purposes, including combat, patrol, or transport of troops.
港に軍艦が停泊していた。
A warship was anchored in the harbor.
博物館で昔の軍艦の模型を見た。
I saw a model of an old warship at the museum.
幕末に外国の軍艦が日本の沿岸に現れ、大きな衝撃を与えた。
At the end of the Edo period, foreign warships appeared off the coast of Japan, causing great shock.
軍艦 refers to any military ship. In modern usage, the word is commonly encountered in historical contexts, news, and popular culture.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 軍艦島 (Gunkanjima, Battleship Island — a famous abandoned island off Nagasaki)
- 軍艦巻き (gunkan-maki — a type of sushi wrapped in nori resembling a warship)
- 軍艦マーチ (Gunkan March — a famous Japanese military march)
The word is a compound of 軍 (military) and 艦 (warship). For specific types, Japanese uses compounds like 戦艦 (battleship), 空母 (aircraft carrier), and 駆逐艦 (destroyer).