. (Nav.) A very fast, unarmored, lightly armed vessel designed to capture or destroy merchant vessels of an enemy. Not being intended to fight, they may be improvised from fast passenger steamers. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]
adj.
n. [ Cf. OF. destruior. ]
n. One who destroys himself; a suicide. [ 1913 Webster ]
. A larger, swifter, and more powerful armed type of torpedo boat, originally intended principally for the destruction of torpedo boats, but later used also as a more formidable torpedo boat. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]