yacht

1 of 2

noun

ˈyät 

: any of various recreational watercraft: such as

a

: a sailboat used for racing

b

: a large usually motor-driven craft used for pleasure cruising

yacht

2 of 2

verb

yachted; yachting; yachts

intransitive verb

: to race or cruise in a yacht

Examples of yacht in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

An investigation was underway Sunday in New York after two people were stabbed and one was bashed with a bottle in a melee at a party yacht docked at a Brooklyn pier, authorities said. —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2024

The yacht has also displayed works from Lewis’ private art collection, which is valued at more than $1 billion and includes pieces by Picasso, Freud, Klimt and Degas. Events that authorities say took place on the yacht were a key piece of evidence that prosecutors used against him. —Ben Stupples, Fortune Europe, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

obsolete Dutch jaght, from Middle Low German jacht, short for jachtschip, literally, hunting ship

First Known Use

Noun

1557, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1836, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing yacht

• land yacht
• yacht club

Kids Definition

yacht

1 of 2 noun

ˈyät 

: a fairly small ship used for pleasure cruising or racing

yacht

2 of 2 verb

: to race or cruise in a yacht

Etymology

Noun

from obsolete Dutch jaght (now jacht), short for jachtschip, literally, "hunting ship"

Word Origin

In the 16th century, the Dutch were being attacked by pirates and smugglers who managed to escape after their raids because their ships were much faster than the heavy warships used by the Dutch. To solve the problem, the Dutch began building smaller, sleeker, faster craft. This new kind of craft was called a jaght (later spelled jacht) in Dutch. The word was derived from the Dutch phrase jachtschip, literally meaning "hunting ship." In 1660, the Dutch East India Company presented one of these boats to England's King Charles II. He used it for a pleasure boat rather than for chasing pirates. Soon, other wealthy Englishmen wanted boats just like the king's. The style was then copied and improved over the years. The name for this craft also went through a number of changes over the years, from the original jaght, taken from the Dutch, to the yacht spelling we have today.