old ironsides

2 definitions found

old ironsides - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Ironsides \I"ron*sides"\, n.
     A cuirassier or cuirassiers; also, hardy veteran soldiers; --
     applied specifically to Cromwell's cavalry.
  
     Old Ironsides. (U. S. Hist.) A nickname for the U.S.S.
        Constitution, a sailing ship which fought in the American
        Revolutionary war, and now functions as a floating museum
        in Boston harbor. It was given its nickname because
        cannonballs bounced off its hard wooden sides.
        [PJC]

old ironsides - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Old Ironsides
      n 1: a United States 44-gun frigate that was one of the first
           three naval ships built by the United States; it won
           brilliant victories over British frigates during the War of
           1812 and is without doubt the most famous ship in the
           history of the United States Navy; it has been rebuilt and
           is anchored in the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston [syn:
           Constitution, Old Ironsides]