convoy

From Middle English, from Old French convoier, another form of conveier, from Vulgar Latin *convio (compare Medieval Latin convio (“to accompany on the way”)), from Latin con- (“together”) + via (“way”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒn.vɔɪ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

convoy (plural convoys)

1. (nautical) One or more merchant ships sailing in company to the same general destination under the protection of naval vessels.
2. A group of vehicles travelling together for safety, especially one with an escort.
   • 1975, “Convoy”, in C.W. McCall, Chip Davis (lyrics), Black Bear Road, performed by C. W. McCall:

     'Cause we got a great big convoy
     Rockin' through the night.
     Yeah, we got a great big convoy
     Ain't she a beautiful sight?
     Come on and join our convoy
     Ain't nothin' gonna get in our way.
     We gonna roll this truckin' convoy
     'Cross the USA.

3. The act of convoying; protection.

• convey

convoy (third-person singular simple present convoys, present participle convoying, simple past and past participle convoyed)

1. (transitive) To escort a group of vehicles, and provide protection.

   A frigate convoys a merchantman.

   • 1867, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “May-Day”, in May-Day and Other Pieces, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 23:

     I know ye skilful to convoy / The total freight of hope and joy / Into rude and homely nooks, / Shed mocking lustres on shelf of books, […]

2. (intransitive) To travel under convoy.

• “convoy”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “convoy”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “convoy”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Borrowed from English convoy, itself from French convoi.

• IPA^(key): /komˈboi/ [kõmˈboi̯]
• Rhymes: -oi
• Syllabification: con‧voy

convoy m (plural convoyes)

1. convoy

• “convoy”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024