Definition of "trireme" [tri•reme]

• An ancient Greek or Roman galley or warship, having three tiers of oars on each side. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The word trireme comes from three and "remus," meaning oar."
• "In fact, the name trireme was used loosely for all ships of war whether they had two banks of oars or three."
• "A New York-based non-profit is trying to restore a full-scale replica of the ancient Athenian warship known as a trireme and row it in the city's harbor."