Phrase guide

Mary Celeste

name · noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

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Pronunciation

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1

name

Meaning 1

An American sailing ship found deserted and adrift while under sail in the Atlantic in 1872.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A ship found empty of all people, in good condition, seemingly abandoned on the high seas; a ghost ship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Mary + Celeste. From an American-flagged brigantine by this name that was found drifting and deserted in the Atlantic Ocean in 1872. The disappearance of the crew and passengers has never been satisfactorily explained.