commonly implies a company of ships of war, belonging to any prince or state: but sometimes it denotes any number of trading ships employed in a particular branch of commerce.

The admirals of his Britannic majesty's fleet are divided into three squadrons, viz. the red, the white, and the blue. When any of these officers are invested with the command of a squadron or detachment of men of war, the particular ships are distinguished by the colours of their respective squadron: that is to say, the ships of the red squadron wear an ensign whose union is displayed on a red field; the ensigns of the white squadron have a white field; and those of the blue squadron a blue field; the union being common to all three. The ships of war, therefore, are occasionally annexed to any of the three squadrons, or shifted from one to another.

Of whatsoever number a fleet of ships of war is composed, it is usually divided into three squadrons; and these, if numerous, are again separated into divisions. The admiral, or principal officer, commands the centre; the vice-admiral, or second in command, superintends the van-guard; and the operations of the rear are directed by the rear-admiral, or the officer next in rank. See the article Division.

The disposition of a fleet, while proceeding on a voyage, will in some measure depend on particular circumstances; as the difficulty of the navigation, the necessity of dispatch, according to the urgency or importance of the expedition, or the expectation of an enemy in the passage. The most convenient order is probably to range it into three lines or columns, each of which is parallel to a line close-hauled according to the tack on which the line of battle is designed to be formed. This arrangement is more useful than any, because it contains the advantages of every other form, without their inconveniences. The fleet being thus more included will more readily observe the signals, and with greater facility form itself into the line of battle; a circumstance which should be kept in view in every order of sailing. See Naval Tactics.

Fleet, is also a noted prison in London, where persons are committed for contempt of the king and his laws, particularly of his courts of justice: or for debt, where any person will not or is unable to pay his creditors.

There are large rules and a warden belonging to the fleet prison; which had its name from the float or fleet of the river or ditch, on the tide whereof it stands.