pocket battleship

n. Any of several German warships built in the late 1920s and early 1930s that were smaller, less well armed, and less heavily armored than a conventional battleship.

pocket battleship

n (Military) a small heavily armoured and armed battle cruiser specially built to conform with treaty limitations on tonnage and armament, esp any of those built by Germany in the 1930s

pock′et bat′tleship

n. a small, lightly armored but heavily armed warship serving as a battleship because of treaty restrictions. [1930]

Thesaurus

Noun

pocket battleship - a small battleship built to conform with treaty limitations on tonnage and armament (from 1925 to 1930)battleship, battlewagon - large and heavily armoured warship

pocket battleship