ram, appurtenance fixed to the front end of a fighting vessel and designed to damage enemy ships when struck by it. It was possibly first developed by the Egyptians as early as 1200 bc, but its importance was most clearly emphasized in Phoenician, Greek, and Roman galleys (seagoing vessels propelled primarily by oars).
The ram enjoyed a brief revival in naval warfare in the mid-19th century, notably in the American Civil War and the Austro-Italian War of 1866. At this time rams were mounted on armoured, steam-propelled warships and used effectively against wooden sailing ships. Improvements in naval ordnance and the spread of metal-hulled ships soon made the ram obsolete again, however. See also battering ram.