Naut. Also 6 fluite, 7 fluyt(e. [a. Fr. flûte, a. Du. fluit (whence the Eng. forms fluyt(e, fluit), perh. a transferred use of fluit = prec.]
1. (See quots.)
1567. J. Maplet, A Greene Forest, or a Naturall Historie, 91. The best … are those that be called Flutae, in Greke Plootai, good saylers or fluites.
1698. Froger, Voy., 107. A Portuguese Flute, that carried Negro’s to All-Saints Bay.
1727–41. Chambers, Cycl, Flute or Fluyt, a kind of long vessel, with flat ribs or floor timbers; round behind, and swelled in the middle.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Flute or Fluyt, a pink-rigged fly-boat, the afterpart of which is round-ribbed.
2. A vessel of war, carrying only part of her armament, to serve as a transport.
1666. Lond. Gaz., No. 77/2. Two Men of War … with three Flutes of 18 or 20 Guns.
1799. Sir Sid. Smith, 6 Feb., in Nicolas, Nelson’s Disp., III. 281, note. Captain Hood’s list reported them to be eight, (in addition to two Flutes).
1876–7. J. Grant, Hist. India, I. xlvi. 231. The fleet of M. de Suffren consisted of twenty-six sail, including eleven line-of-battle ships (of which the Hannibal, now commanded by Beaumont Le Maître), was one, and six flutes and transports.
b. Hence Armed en flute (Fr. armé en flûte) said of such a vessel.
1799. Naval Chron., I. 258. The Sceptre, 64 guns, armed en flute.
1832. Marryat, N. Forster, xxxvi. She was cruizing for some large Dutch store-ships and vessels armed en flute, which were supposed to have sailed from Java.
