factory shipn.1
/ˈfakt(ə)rɪ ʃɪp/, U.S. /ˈfækt(ə)ri ˌʃɪp/ΚΠ
1788 T. Clarkson Ess. Slavery & Commerce Human Species i. ix. 26 There is a new kind of factory established by the British merchants... It consists of a large ship, stationed upon the coast, and is called a factory ship.
1794 J. Montefiore Authentic Acct. Exped. Bulam 34 The chief factor resides on board the factory ship.
1873 Rep. Cases Maritime Law 1 562/1 In my opinion, under the terms of this policy, the ship cannot be used for any other purposes than trading purposes... The question was, whether the stay of a vessel used as a factory ship on the coast of Africa was a deviation.
2. A ship accompanying a fishing or (originally) whaling fleet with facilities for processing the catch; a fishing or whaling ship with such facilities of its own.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > fishing vessel > [noun] > whaling vessel > base ship of fleet
factory ship1911
1911 Sci. Amer. 4 Nov. 406/3 A Tyne firm is about to dispatch a fleet of five vessels—three whalers, a factory ship, and an oil carrier—to engage in whaling in the vicinity of Kerguelen Island.
1958 Times 12 Nov. 11/6 The cost of building a factory ship today at about £4m. is almost prohibitive for any private whaling company.
1969 N. W. Pirie Food Resources v. 135 Larger vessels, such as the 43,000 ton Vostok which the Russians are building as a factory ship.
1998 BBC Vegetarian Good Food May 78/1 Many sharks become a by-catch on factory ships hunting tuna.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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