ETYM Cf. Old Fren. destruior.
A small fast lightly armored but heavily armed warship; SYN. guided missile destroyer.
Small, fast warship designed for antisubmarine work. Destroyers played a critical role in the convoy system in World War II.r /> Originally termed “torpedo-boat destroyers”, they were designed by Britain to counter the large flotillas built by the French and Russian navies in the late 19th century. They proved so effective that torpedo-boats were more or less abandoned in the early 1900s, but the rise of the submarine found a new task for the “destroyer”. They proved invaluable as antisubmarine vessels in both World War I and World War II.
Modern destroyers often carry guided missiles and displace 3,700–5,650 tons.

A person who destroys; SYN. ruiner.