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
Mark LaNevesee also in the same boat
boated; boating; boats
: to place in or bring into a boat
: to go by boat
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
Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 3 Jan. 2026
Some fishermen plan to sell directly off their boats at Pier 45 and Pier 47, cutting out the middleman.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
Susannah Bryan, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Venus and Preti were first linked in July 2024 when they were seen boating in Nerano, Italy, along the Amalfi Coast.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boat
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Noun
Additional personnel staged equipment on shore, including an inflatable rescue boat, as crews worked to pull Phoenix from the icy water.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 3 Jan. 2026
Some fishermen plan to sell directly off their boats at Pier 45 and Pier 47, cutting out the middleman.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
Verb
The slower speeds — already approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — are part of an effort to improve safety in one of South Florida’s most heavily trafficked boating corridors, Fort Lauderdale officials say.
—Susannah Bryan, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Venus and Preti were first linked in July 2024 when they were seen boating in Nerano, Italy, along the Amalfi Coast.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boat
Cite this Entry
“Boat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boat. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boat
1 of 2 noun1
: a small vessel for travel on water
3
: a boat-shaped utensil
gravy boat
boat
2 of 2 verb1
: to put into or carry in a boat
2
: to travel by boat
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