slang A nickname formed from a portmanteau of the names of two people (typically fictional characters in a TV show or movie) who are either in a romantic relationship or that fans want to see in a romantic relationship. "Ship" is derived from "relationship" and alludes to "shipping," a slang term for the act of supporting and/or hoping for the romantic pairing of two people. Grey's Anatomy fans have almost as many ship names as the show has medical terms: Meredith and Derek are Merder, Jackson and April are Japril, Callie and Arizona are Calzona—and that's just a few of them!