1. A small, fast sailing ship with two or three masts, used especially by Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Usage: historical; also spelled caravel

Examples

• Columbus sailed across the Atlantic in the caravelle Santa Maria.
• The caravelle was designed to be both seaworthy and maneuverable in coastal waters.
• Portuguese explorers favored the caravelle for its speed and ability to sail against the wind.
• The three caravelles in Columbus's fleet represented the latest in maritime technology.
• Historians study caravelles to understand how early ocean exploration was conducted.