The industry or craft of designing and constructing ships and large boats.
Compound of 'ship' (Old English 'scip') and 'building' (from Old English 'byldan'). As an industry name, it emerged strongly in the 1600s during the age of exploration, when ship construction became a major economic enterprise.
Shipbuilding shaped world history more than almost any other technology—it enabled colonization, trade, and naval warfare. Cities like Glasgow, Belfast, and Tokyo literally built their power on ship construction, and the industry created the first assembly-line mass production techniques that later influenced car manufacturing.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.