boat

1 of 2

noun

plural boats
1
a
: a small vessel for travel on water
b
: ship
2
: a boat-shaped container, utensil, or device
a gravy boat
a laboratory boat
3
informal : a large car
A lot of people still think Cadillac makes big floaty boats.Mark LaNeve
boatful noun
boatlike adjective

boat

2 of 2

verb

boated; boating; boats

transitive verb

: to place in or bring into a boat

intransitive verb

: to go by boat
Phrases
in the same boat
: in the same situation or predicament

Examples of boat in a Sentence

Noun He tied the boat to the dock. Cruise ships and other boats filled the harbor. traveling by boat across the ocean Verb We boated over to the island. boated to the picnic site on an island in the bay
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But while most of Barreiro’s co-defendants have been sentenced to periods between four and six years for their more minor roles, such as captaining drug-laden boats, Barreiro was described in court Monday and in various filings in the case as one of the highest-level members of her organization. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2024 Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2024 The US Coast Guard informed Outer Banks Voice that Griffin's boat went missing on Sunday near the Oregon Inlet. Dory Jackson, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 The boat is powered by twin Volvo Penta IPS2 950s that is paired with a glass cockpit by Garmin. Kevin Koenig, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 Miller said there was one prior complaint about duck boats at the location, a violation of site plan usage. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 Spend your days alternating between lounging or strolling hand-and-hand along the shores and exploring its natural wonders by foot, boat, or helicopter. Claudia Fisher, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 Jordan this week dropped other, waterproof boxes of rations into the sea off the Gaza coast where people waded into the water or set off on small boats to retrieve them. Jane Arraf, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024 New amenities include pontoon boat rentals, a concrete boat launch and boat slips, as well as an on-site café and poolside cabanas. Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 In one of Europe’s deadliest shipping disasters in recent years, hundreds of migrants drowned after an overloaded boat sank off the Greek town of Pylos in June 2023. Beatrice Tridimas, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
Members of the sheriff’s office search and rescue team, dive team, boating safety unit and other agencies responded to the scene to aid in the recovery of the two children. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 23 Feb. 2024 Located just minutes from the hiking, fishing and boating amenities of Blue Springs Lake, Fleming Park, and Lake Jacomo, and is less than 20 minutes from three area golf courses. Summit Homes, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2024 For boating and water enthusiasts, there’s direct water access via a three-slip dock, which has two jet ski lifts. Emma Reynolds, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 With more than 750 miles of shoreline, Lake Mead offers boating and camping opportunities and views of the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 The Super Bowl of boat shows returns to Miami for the biggest display of luxury yachts, sport fishers, performance boats, family cruisers, and boating accessories. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Yeti Camino 35 Carryall Yeti Camino 35 Carry All SEE IT For boating or camping, the Camino 35 carryall is an endlessly helpful tote bag that pairs well with a Yeti cooler to keep your dry gear (and snacks) organized. Travis Smola, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024 The number of people who died in boating accidents in Arkansas dropped to a five-year low last year, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's 2023 Boating Accident Year-End Report. The Sentinel-Record, arkansasonline.com, 8 Feb. 2024 Charlotte is the only daughter of Princess Caroline and her second husband Stefano Casiraghi, who died in a boating accident in 1990. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English boot, from Old English bāt; akin to Old Norse beit boat

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of boat was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near boat

Cite this Entry

“Boat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boat. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

boat

1 of 2 noun
1
: a small vessel for travel on water
2
3
: a boat-shaped utensil
gravy boat

boat

2 of 2 verb
1
: to put into or carry in a boat
2
: to travel by boat

More from Merriam-Webster on boat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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