veliero
sailing ship
noun veh-LYEH-roh Rare
Origin: Italian vela (sail) + -iero (agent suffix)
Usage Note
Veliero refers specifically to a large sailing vessel with multiple masts and sails — what English calls a sailing ship or tall ship. It is distinct from barca a vela (smaller sailing boat) or yacht. In Italian, veliero evokes historical seafaring and adventure; it is used in both technical nautical contexts and literature.
Examples
"Il veliero ha attraversato l'Atlantico in quaranta giorni."
Natural Translation
The sailing ship crossed the Atlantic in forty days.

Free starter pack
Building your Italian vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore Italian by topic
ItalianNow
5 min read