paravane

par·a·vane

(păr′ə-vān′)

A device equipped with sharp teeth and towed alongside a ship to cut the mooring cables of submerged mines.

[From its having vanes to keep it at a constant depth.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

paravane

(ˈpærəˌveɪn)

(Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) a torpedo-shaped device towed from the bow of a vessel so that the cables will cut the anchors of any moored mines

[C20: from para-² + vane]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

par•a•vane

(ˈpær əˌveɪn)

n.

a device towed at the bow of a ship for cutting the moorings of underwater mines, allowing them to rise to the surface and be destroyed.

[1915–20; appar. para-² + vane]

Mentioned in ?

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References in periodicals archive ?

The American ships were sent to the Tyne to have the newly-invented British paravane anti-mine system fitted in the dry dock operated by the Smith's Dock Company of North Shields.

Americans took tea with the Lord Mayor as they arrived to join our war

On which class of naval vessel would you find a paravane?

At ease

The paravane would be streamed alongside a towing ship, normally from the bow.

From home front to battle front: methods to combat mines and to improve the effectiveness of machine guns are just two of the topics in an online exhibition about the First World War

who finished eighth last year, appeared to stumble over "paravane," an underwater glider device, in the fifth round.

Indian American teen wins 2010 US Spelling Bee contest

On 5 February, 1941, Curtin, meeting Menzies at the Advisory War Council, advised him in regard to strikes against the manufacturing of ships and of mine sweeping equipment, his advice being minuted as follows: (11) "If it can be brought vividly home to the members of the unions engaged in such activities that the lack of ships and of degaussing and paravane equipment was causing the loss of lives of fellow-unionists in the Seamen's Union, they would readily agree to forego their objections and make extreme efforts to remedy the situation to the best of their ability.

Treachery: the Communist Party and the Labor Party

mukate so Jo asade picche rahisani sikh / turakam karani hai panth nali khaher jagaha jagaha paravane likh / tinain vicho jo rakhanage sikhi soi mukate/ rakhanage dharamu sikhi da kar anek jatan

MARTYRDOM AND THE EXECUTION OF GURU ARJAN IN EARLY SIKH SOURCES

Burney came up with the idea of the paravane, a device used by warships for the destruction of mines.