boat

1 of 2

noun

ˈbōt 

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

ˈbōt-ˌfu̇l 

noun

boatlike

ˈbōt-ˌlīk 

adjective

see also:

in the same boat

boat

2 of 2

verb

boated; boating; boats

transitive verb

: to place in or bring into a boat

intransitive verb

: to go by boat

Synonyms of boat

Noun

• vessel
• yacht
• canoe
• kayak
• raft

Verb

• sail
• ferry

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

Nor did the sale of Guehi for £20m and Glasner repeatedly rocking the boat. —Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2026

The Coast Guard took possession of the couple’s boat, the Soulmate, this month. —Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 28 May 2026

Verb

Private docks mean boating, wake surfing, paddleboarding and swimming without the logistics of public access. —Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Lynette Hooker, 55, disappeared on April 4 while boating in the Bahamas with her husband, Brian Hooker, 58. —Saleen Martin, USA Today, 28 May 2026

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

Phrases Containing boat

• assault boat
• boat hook
• boat people
• boat shoe
• boat train
• flying boat
• fresh/just off the boat
• in the same boat
• jolly boat
• miss the boat
• motor torpedo boat
• narrow boat
• pedal boat
• PT boat
• push the boat out
• Q-boat
• rock the boat
• rowing boat
• swan boat
• torpedo boat
• U-boat

Rhymes for boat

• bloat
• choate
• coat
• cote
• dote
• float
• gloat
• goat
• groat
• haute
• moat
• mote

Kids Definition

boat

1 of 2 noun

ˈbōt 

1

: a small vessel for travel on water

2

: ship entry 1 sense 1

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