Noun
pre-dreadnought (plural pre-dreadnoughts)
(nautical, military, historical) A late 19th-century or early 20th-century battleship with a small number of big guns (typically no more than four) and a large number of quick-firing medium-caliber guns. It was made largely obsolete in 1906 by the dreadnought type of battleship.
Britain answered with further shipbuilding, but by the end of the pre-dreadnought era, British supremacy at sea had markedly weakened. Source: Internet
Here, we abstract the transition between four different generations of capital ships, beginning with the coal-burning, armored pre-dreadnought battleship type that dominated major navies until 1905. Source: Internet
The British one sank an obsolete Turkish pre-dreadnought battleship off the Golden Horn of Istanbul. Source: Internet
The beginning of the pre-dreadnought era coincided with Britain reasserting her naval dominance. Source: Internet
The provisions of the Versailles Treaty restricted the German Navy to 15,000 men and no submarines, while the fleet was limited to six pre-dreadnought battleships, six cruisers and 12 destroyers. Source: Internet
This delay enabled the Spanish to skip the final generation of pre-dreadnought battleships, and instead contemplate internationally competitive vessels. Source: Internet