man-of-war (m?n??-wôr?)n. pl. men-of-war 1. See warship.2. pl., also man-of-wars A Portuguese man-of-war.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.man-of-war or man o’ warn, pl men-of-war or men o’ war1. (Nautical Terms) a warship2. (Animals) See Portuguese man-of-warCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014war?ship (?w?r???p) n. a ship built or armed for combat purposes. [1525?35] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.