An alphabetical arrangement of the ships of the continental and United States Navies, with a historical sketch of each one.

The dictionary consists of an alphabetical index to over 10,000 ship histories documenting nearly every ship that the US Navy has put to sea. Continental and Confederate vessels are also included. Entries include physical information, commissioning, service record, notable actions, and decommissioning. Drawings, photographs, and documents are also included. The Web site is an electronic version of the previously published dictionary series. Web entries may be corrected and updated from those that appeared in the printed series.