Also 6–7 armado, 7 armatho, armade, 7–8 armata. [a. Sp. armada, cogn. w. Eng. ARMY (used in same sense), F. armée, It. armata:—L. armāta, pa. pple. of armā-re to ARM, used in Rom. langs. as sb. = ‘armed force, army, navy, fleet.’ At first used in erroneous form armado; also in the adapted form armade (see -ADO and -ADE), and It. form armata.]
1. A fleet of ships of war.
† α. in forms armado, armade. Obs.
1533. M. Kyng, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 108, II. 46. The Turks Armado was before Coron.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., II. ii. 140. Spaine … sent whole Armadoes of Carrects to be ballast at her nose.
1604. Edmonds, Observ. Cæsar’s Comm., 56. Such huge armades, as appeareth by the sea fight with the maritimate cities of Gallia.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1729), I. 27. When the Armado lyeth at Portabell.
β. in form armada.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. 217. These ships be … guarded with the Armada of the Portugals.
1606. Holland, Sueton., Annot. 11. The sumptuous Armada of Antonie and Cleopatra was defaited.
1809. J. Barlow, Columb., VII. 547. The matcht armadas still the fight maintain.
1815. Scott, Ld. Isles, V. xiii. South and by west the armada bore.
† γ. in form armata. Obs.
1683. T. Smith, Observ. Constant., in Misc. Cur. (1708), III. 46. He puts to Sea with his Armata of Gallies.
1697. Phil. Trans., XIX. 66. The great Defeat given the Turkish Armata by the Venetians.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., Armada or Armata.
2. spec. The ‘Invincible Armada’ sent by Philip II. of Spain against England in 1588.
1588. D. Archdeacon, Of the Armie, 14. The forces of the Spaniards, this their great Armado.
1603. Eng. Mourn. Garm., in Harl. Misc. (1793), 205. The Spaniards, having their armatho ready.
1641. Milton, Reform., II. (1851), 69. The proud Ship-wracks of the Spanish Armado.
1860. Macaulay (title), The Armada.
1864. Burton, Scot Abr., I. iv. 187. Within eighteen months after the death of Mary, the Armada was in the Channel.
† 3. A single large war-vessel. Obs.
1586. Lanc. Lieuten., II. 177. Viij armadoes or greate shippes.
1662. Fuller, Worthies, III. 84. He sunk and took nine Spanish ships, whereof one was an Armada of 600 Tunn.
4. An armament generally.
1728. Morgan, Algiers, I. iv. 153. The mighty Armadas set on Foot by the Saracen Khalifas.
1837. Lytton, Athens, II. 121. Nor was the naval unworthy of the land armada.
