A destroyer is a fast, maneuverable warship designed to protect larger vessels like aircraft carriers and battleships. Think of them as the guardians of a naval fleet, quick enough to chase threats and powerful enough to stop them.

Modern destroyers bristle with weapons: missiles, torpedoes, and guns. They use sophisticated radar and sonar to detect enemy ships, aircraft, and submarines from miles away. A destroyer might escort an aircraft carrier across the ocean, ready to shoot down incoming missiles or attack enemy submarines lurking below.

The word destroyer can also mean anything or anyone that destroys. A fire might be called a destroyer of forests. The Hindu god Shiva is known as “the Destroyer” because destruction is part of his divine role in the cycle of creation and renewal. But when someone uses the word destroyer without context, they usually mean the warship.