second-rate
(UK, military, nautical, historical) Of a Royal Navy ship of the line in the Napoleonic Era: having 8098 guns across three gun decks, a complement of 700750, and weighing approximately 2,200 tons burt
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(UK, military, nautical, historical) Of a Royal Navy ship of the line in the Napoleonic Era: having 8098 guns across three gun decks, a complement of 700750, and weighing approximately 2,200 tons burthen.
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(UK, military, nautical, historical) A second-rate ship of the line.
Comments
(idiomatic) Of mediocre quality; not first-rate.
They are intrigued by Mrs Deelville; she is dowdy, languid-voiced, and ill-dressed, in every way appearing second-rate, who nonetheless - rather tiresomely - seems to have the knack of attracting men.
“The fact that these second-rate burglars and weirdo Cuban exiles all had entré to the White House is proof of the Party's weakness. I think we should shore up the GOP”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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- fifth-rate85%
(UK, military, nautical, historical) Of a Royal Navy warship in the Napoleonic Era: having 3244 guns across one or two gun decks, a complement of 200300, and weighing 7001,450 tons burthen.
- sixth-rate84%
(UK, military, nautical, historical) Of a Royal Navy warship in the Napoleonic Era: having 2028 guns on one gun deck, a complement of 140200, and weighing 340550 tons burthen.
- first-rate84%
(UK, military, nautical, historical) Of a Royal Navy ship of the line in the Napoleonic Era: having at least 100 guns across three gun decks, a complement of 850875, and weighing approximately 2,500 tons burthen.
- fourth-rate82%
(UK, military, nautical, historical) Of a Royal Navy ship of the line in the Napoleonic Era: having 5060 guns across two gun decks, a complement of 320420, and weighing approximately 1,000 tons burthen.