Adjective
Of a Royal Navy ship of the line in the Napoleonic Era: having 80–98 guns across three gun decks, a complement of 700–750, and weighing approximately 2,200 tons burthen.
Usage- UK usage
- Historical
- not-comparable
Of mediocre quality; not first-rate.
Usage- idiomatic
- not-comparable
- Examples
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More examples (2)
‘Revelation’, to a philosopher such as Plotinus, was not merely irrational: it led to second-rate counterfeits of traditional academic philosophical culture. It was as if the inhabitants of an underdeveloped country were to seek to catch up with western technology by claiming to have learnt nuclear physics through dreams and oracles.
They are intrigued by Mrs Deelville; she is dowdy, languid-voiced, and ill-dressed, in every way appearing second-rate, who nonetheless - rather tiresomely - seems to have the knack of attracting men.
Noun
A second-rate ship of the line.
Usage- UK usage
- Historical
- Related words
Adjective
moderate to inferior in quality
- Synonyms
- Examples
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they improved the quality from mediocre to above average