whaleboat

noun

whale·​boat ˈ(h)wāl-ˌbōt How to pronounce whaleboat (audio)
1
: a long narrow rowboat made with both ends sharp and raking, often steered with an oar, and formerly used by whalers for hunting whales
2
: a long narrow rowboat or motorboat resembling the original whaleboats and often carried by warships and merchant ships

Examples of whaleboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On July 20, 1775, Major Joseph Vose and sixty Continental soldiers landed on Little Brewster in nimble whaleboats. Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023 When a prime specimen was chosen, the men set off in a whaleboat rowed by a crew. Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Nov. 2022 Setauket whaleboat captain Caleb Brewster, meanwhile, carried messages across Long Island Sound, between Setauket and Connecticut. Bill Bleyer, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2022 Mitch Brown, 27, and his girlfriend Yanna Xian, 24, were swimming on a whaleboat tour when a baby humpback approached them. People Staff, PEOPLE.com, 10 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whaleboat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of whaleboat was in 1682

Dictionary Entries Near whaleboat

Cite this Entry

“Whaleboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whaleboat. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

whaleboat

noun
whale·​boat ˈhwā(ə)l-ˌbōt How to pronounce whaleboat (audio)
ˈwā(ə)l-
: a long narrow rowboat formerly used by whalers for hunting whales
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