Wiktionary
n. (plural of fireship English)
Wikipedia
Fireships is an album by English singer and songwriter Peter Hammill. Originally released in 1992, it was the first release on Hammill's own Fie! Records label. It was reissued in remastered form in 2006.
The sleeve notes label the album "Number 1 in the BeCalm series", and its songs are generally at the gentler, more introspective end of Hammill's work. Hammill's next album, the more rocking The Noise (1993), was similarly labelled as "Number 1 in the A Loud series". Hammill decided to put the quiet and loud songs he had recently written and recorded on separate albums.
At around the same time, Virgin Records, the owners of Hammill's back catalogue on Charisma Records, were planning to issue a compilation of his earlier work. When he explained the concept of the BeCalm and A Loud series to them, they decided to issue two compilations along similar lines - The Calm (After The Storm) (containing quieter songs) and The Storm (Before The Calm) (containing more aggressive material).
Originally, Hammill planned to continue this separation between quiet and loud music on subsequent albums, but the plan was soon abandoned.
Two of the album's tracks, "I Will Find You" and "Curtains", have become staples of Hammill's live set.
At the time of the album's release, Hammill (in a rare piece of merchandising) issued a limited edition of 500 numbered prints of the cover, signed by himself and the artist, Paul Ridout.
Usage examples of "fireships".
Even the Buzzard was wild-eyed in the firelight as he looked up and saw the other two fireships drifting remorselessly upon him.
She towed the two fireships for a short distance, but when the lines that secured them burned through, the Gull left them as she headed slowly down the channel.
This time there are no fireships to drive off the Buzzard and the Dutch frigate.
In the area where they had built the fireships the undergrowth had sprung up again thickly.
When the fireships reached the stakes protecting the dyke, they burned and exploded, but without effecting much damage.
They were met by several hundred Spanish troops, who, as soon as they saw the fireships burn out harmlessly, sallied out from their forts.
At midnight the tide set directly from the English fleet towards the Spaniards, and the fireships, manned by their respective crews, hoisted sail and drove down towards them.
The admiral fired a gun as a signal, and all cut their cables and hoisted sail, and succeeded in getting out to sea before the fireships arrived.
They had the day before been kept at work cleaning and refitting, and the fireships had disturbed them early in the night.