gunboat

noun

gun·​boat ˈgən-ˌbōt 

: an armed ship of shallow draft

Examples of gunboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The artifacts include the desk used by Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence, a Revolutionary War-era gunboat and the Star Spangled Banner. — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

In The Sand Pebbles, McQueen, who died in 1980 at age 50, played Jake Holman, a member of the Navy who transfers to a gunboat on the Yangtze River in China in 1926. — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026

The National Museum of American History is preserving a Revolutionary-era gunboat. — Lonnie G. Bunch Iii, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026

American forces defeated the British in January 1815 at the Battle of New Orleans, which was fought in part with gunboats on the Mississippi River. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 31 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gunboat

• gunboat diplomacy

Rhymes for gunboat

• afloat
• azote
• banknote
• bareboat
• benzoate
• connote
• cutthroat
• demote
• denote
• devote
• endnote
• footnote

Kids Definition

gunboat

noun

gun·​boat ˈgən-ˌbōt 

: a small lightly armed ship for use in shallow waters