dreadnought class (warship)
Refers specifically to the class of battleships pioneered by HMS Dreadnought (1906). Used in historical or naval contexts.
Dreadnought-class battleships symbolized naval power in the early 20th century.
A model of a dreadnought-class ship is on display at this museum.
dreadnought
dreadnought-class battleship
Standard kanji spelling; 弩 is a non-jōyō kanji meaning 'crossbow' but used here for the 'dreadnought' warship.
Katakana spelling of the first character, common in informal or modern contexts.
Coined from the battleship name Dreadnought: 弩 represents the initial ド of ドレッドノート, and 級 means “class.” It originally designated warships of the Dreadnought class and subsequently developed figurative uses for exceptionally large scale.