: a large oared boat usually carried by a merchant sailing ship
Examples of longboat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The soldiers loosed a volley or two of musket fire at the mass of agitated native inhabitants and made a hasty retreat to their longboat.
—
Adam Goodheart, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2023
The horn emanating from the golden helm is an underrated detail, as are the shoulder stripes symbolizing Norse longboats.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2023
Local participants, called guizers, celebrate their Norse heritage by dressing in Viking gear and marching through the town of Lerwick with battle axes and torches, dragging a ceremonial Viking longboat with them.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2023
At the end of the procession, the guizers hurl their flaming torches onto the longboat and set it ablaze.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2023
During the War of 1812, the original lightkeeper’s daughters, Abigail and Rebecca Bates, noticed a British warship approaching and launching a longboat to loot the town for supplies.
—Bailey Allen, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Oct. 2022
Each colorful tableau is crammed with weird and funny things: giant tomatoes, a waterfall shaped like a teakettle, gnomes in a longboat.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 15 Oct. 2021
The current shoulder silhouettes evoking a Nordic longboat are another deft touch.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2020
On a 60-foot longboat parked in England’s scenic Worcestershire Canals (about 45 minutes from Stratford-upon-Avon), silversmith Jonathan Kettle teaches small groups day-long courses on making rings, crosses and bracelets.
—Jennifer Barger, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
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Adam Goodheart, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2023
The horn emanating from the golden helm is an underrated detail, as are the shoulder stripes symbolizing Norse longboats.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2023
Local participants, called guizers, celebrate their Norse heritage by dressing in Viking gear and marching through the town of Lerwick with battle axes and torches, dragging a ceremonial Viking longboat with them.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2023
At the end of the procession, the guizers hurl their flaming torches onto the longboat and set it ablaze.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2023
During the War of 1812, the original lightkeeper’s daughters, Abigail and Rebecca Bates, noticed a British warship approaching and launching a longboat to loot the town for supplies.
—Bailey Allen, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Oct. 2022
Each colorful tableau is crammed with weird and funny things: giant tomatoes, a waterfall shaped like a teakettle, gnomes in a longboat.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 15 Oct. 2021
The current shoulder silhouettes evoking a Nordic longboat are another deft touch.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2020
On a 60-foot longboat parked in England’s scenic Worcestershire Canals (about 45 minutes from Stratford-upon-Avon), silversmith Jonathan Kettle teaches small groups day-long courses on making rings, crosses and bracelets.
—Jennifer Barger, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'longboat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of longboat was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near longboat
Cite this Entry
“Longboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longboat. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
longboat
noun
long·boat
ˈlȯŋ-ˌbōt 
: a large boat carried on a ship
More from Merriam-Webster on longboat
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about longboat
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