steamboat

noun

steam·​boat ˈstēm-ˌbōt How to pronounce steamboat (audio)
: a boat driven by steam power
specifically : a shallow-draft vessel used on inland waterways

Examples of steamboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mary Becker Greene: The only female steamboat captain on the Ohio River earned her pilot’s license in 1896. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 Founded in 1846, Fort Benton lured cowboys and miners who arrived on horseback or by steamboat on the Missouri River. Jim Robbins, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2025 The book delves into Twain’s early years working odd jobs—steamboat pilot, miner, journalist, just to name a few—before the release of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Shannon Carlin, Time, 1 May 2025 Then came the Civil War, which sank the steamboat trade and split the Clemens family down the middle. Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for steamboat

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of steamboat was in 1785

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Cite this Entry

“Steamboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steamboat. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

steamboat

noun
steam·​boat ˈstēm-ˌbōt How to pronounce steamboat (audio)
: a boat driven by steam

More from Merriam-Webster on steamboat

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