Contemptuous name applied to vessels propelled by steam-power, whether steamers, men-of-war, or any other craft.
“These steam-kettles of ours can never be depended upon. I wish we could goback to the good old sailing ships. When we had them we knew what we were about… . Now we trust to machinery, and it fails us in time of need.”—Kingston: The Three Admirals, chap. xvi
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