cruiser
UK[ˈkruːzə(r)]US[ˈkruːzər]
n
a large fast warship
n
a boat with a cabin, used for pleasure trips
n
a police patrol car
Morpheme Breakdown
cruise
er
cruise
to sail
er
agent suffix
Etymology
the word 'cruiser' is built upon the verb 'cruise', which entered english from dutch 'kruisen', meaning to cross or sail back and forth. the dutch term itself is thought to originate from the latin 'crux', meaning cross, reflecting the intersecting paths of a voyage. the agent suffix '-er', of germanic origin, is appended to form a noun indicating a vessel or person that performs the action of cruising. thus, a 'cruiser' literally means a ship (or later, vehicle) designed for the specific purpose of sailing or moving over an area, whether for patrol, warfare, or leisure.
Analysis
Structure: cruise (to sail) + er (agent suffix)
cruise: from dutch 'kruisen' (to cross, sail to and fro), functional role: core verb root. er: from old english '-ere', agent noun suffix, functional role: denotes a person or thing that performs the action.
Examples
the naval exercise involved a destroyer and a missile cruiser.
they spent the afternoon sailing their cabin cruiser around the bay.
the police cruiser quickly responded to the call from the city center.