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⇱ shipping - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

shipping

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈʃɪpɪŋ/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈʃɪpɪŋ/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ship′ing)

From the verb ship: (⇒ conjugate)
shipping is: ⓘClick the infinitive to see all available inflections
v pres p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ship•ping /ˈʃɪpɪŋ/USA pronunciation   n. [uncountable]
  1. the act or business of a person or thing that ships goods.
  2. Nautical, Naval Termsa number of merchant ships thought of as a group:The submarines had sunk most shipping in those sea lanes.
ship•per, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ship•ping  (ship′ing),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. the act or business of a person or thing that ships.
  2. Nautical, Naval Termsa number of ships, esp. merchant ships, taken as a whole;
    tonnage.
  3. Naval Terms[Obs.]a voyage.
  • 1250–1300; Middle English; see ship, -ing1

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
shipping /ˈʃɪpɪŋ/ n
    • the business of transporting freight, esp by ship
    • (as modifier): a shipping magnate, shipping line
  2. ships collectively: there is a lot of shipping in the Channel
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ship /ʃɪp/USA pronunciation   n., v., shipped, ship•ping. 
n. [countable]
  1. Nautical, Naval Termsa large vessel, esp. one that travels on the ocean.
  2. the crew and passengers of a vessel:The ship was abuzz with the news.
  3. an airplane or spacecraft:The commander of the spacecraft ordered his officers not to fire on the alien ship.

v. 
  1. to send or transport by ship, rail, etc.:[~ + object]The package was shipped by an overnight express delivery service.
  2. [~ + object] to take in (water) over the side, as a vessel does when waves break over it.
  3. to bring into a ship or boat:[~ + object]Ship the anchor.
  4. ship out:
    • to (cause to) leave, esp. for another country or assignment: [no object]The sailor shipped out the next day.[~ + object + out]shipped him out the next day.[~ + out + object]The navy shipped out thousands of sailors.
    • Slang Terms[no object] to quit, resign, or be fired from a job:Shape up or ship out!
Idioms
  1. Idioms run a tight ship, to use strict control in running a company, etc.:The boss runs a tight ship.


-ship, suffix. 
    • -ship is used to form nouns with the meaning "state or condition of'':friend + -ship → friendship;kin + -ship → kinship.
    • -ship is also used with the meaning "the skill or ability of'':statesman + -ship → statesmanship;apprentice + -ship → apprenticeship.
    • -ship is also used with the meaning "the relation of'':fellow + -ship → fellowship.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ship  (ship),USA pronunciation n., v., shipped, ship•ping. 
n. 
  1. Nautical, Naval Termsa vessel, esp. a large oceangoing one propelled by sails or engines.
  2. Nautical, Naval Terms
    • a sailing vessel square-rigged on all of three or more masts, having jibs, staysails, and a spanker on the aftermost mast.
    • [Now Rare.]a bark having more than three masts. Cf. shipentine. 
  3. the crew and, sometimes, the passengers of a vessel:The captain gave the ship shore leave.
  4. an airship, airplane, or spacecraft.
  5. jump ship:
    • to escape from a ship, esp. one in foreign waters or a foreign port, as to avoid further service as a sailor or to request political asylum.
    • to withdraw support or membership from a group, organization, cause, etc.;
      defect or desert:Some of the more liberal members have jumped ship.
  6. run a tight ship, to exercise a close, strict control over a ship's crew, a company, organization, or the like.
  7. when one's ship comes in or home, when one's fortune is assured:She'll buy a car as soon as her ship comes in.

v.t. 
  1. to put or take on board a ship or other means of transportation;
    to send or transport by ship, rail, truck, plane, etc.
  2. [Naut.]to take in (water) over the side, as a vessel does when waves break over it.
  3. to bring (an object) into a ship or boat.
  4. to engage (someone) for service on a ship.
  5. to fix in a ship or boat in the proper place for use.
  6. Nautical, Naval Termsto place (an oar) in proper position for rowing. Cf. boat (def. 13).
  7. to send away:They shipped the kids off to camp for the summer.

v.i. 
  1. to go on board or travel by ship;
    embark.
  2. to engage to serve on a ship.
  3. ship out:
    • to leave, esp. for another country or assignment:He said goodby to his family and shipped out for the West Indies.
    • to send away, esp. to another country or assignment.
    • Slang Terms[Informal.]to quit, resign, or be fired from a job:Shape up or ship out!
  • bef. 900; (noun, nominal) Middle English; Old English scip; cognate with Dutch schip, German Schiff, Old Norse, Gothic skip; (verb, verbal) Middle English s(c)hip(p)en, derivative of the noun, nominal
ship′less, adj. 
ship′less•ly, adv. 

-ship, 
  1. a native English suffix of nouns denoting condition, character, office, skill, etc.:clerkship;friendship;statesmanship.
  • Middle English, Old English -scipe; akin to shape; cognate with dialect, dialectal Frisian, dialect, dialectal Dutch schip

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
ship /ʃɪp/ n
  1. a vessel propelled by engines or sails for navigating on the water, esp a large vessel that cannot be carried aboard another, as distinguished from a boat
  2. a large sailing vessel with three or more square-rigged masts
  3. the crew of a ship
  4. short for airship, spaceship
  5. when one's ship comes in ⇒ when one has become successful or wealthy
 vb (ships, shipping, shipped)
  1. to place, transport, or travel on any conveyance, esp aboard a ship
  2. (transitive) to take (water) over the side
  3. to bring or go aboard a vessel: to ship oars
  4. (transitive) often followed by off: informal to send away, often in order to be rid of: they shipped the children off to boarding school
  5. (intransitive) to engage to serve aboard a ship: I shipped aboard a Liverpool liner
Etymology: Old English scip; related to Old Norse skip, Old High German skif ship, scipfī cupˈshippable adj
ship /ʃɪp/ slang (esp in fan fiction) Etymology: 20th Century: shortened from relationship
'shipping' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: the shipping of [orders, goods, items, merchandise], [container, freight, cargo, international] shipping, [drop, emergency, door-to-door] shipping, more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "shipping" in the title:

'free shipping on $45 orders
'shipping' or 'forwarding' agent?
a shipping and container store
aimed at shipping lanes
assembly of shipping
Bill of lading vs. Shipping manifest
Billing and shipping address(es)
By early 2011, the company was reportedly shipping...
courier and shipping
damage during shipping
do I need an article in front of "shipping cost"?
door-to-door shipping
drop-shipping
due to shipping constraints
emergency shipping
for shipping of other nations
GP (shipping container)
handling and shipping
How can I ask cheapest shipping fee?
I don't mind the shipping time.
improvement < for shipping / to ship > the toy
in/from shipping and receiving
International shipping price is pricy.
<in><with><along with> the next shipping
It is important that shipping.... [verb form?]
Make or create or draw up shipping documents?
"near sea shipping line" and "deep ocean shipping line"
nil dockage [shipping]
one day shipping
orders going to companies requiring priority shipping
more...

Look up "shipping" at Merriam-Webster
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