motorboat

1 of 2

noun

mo·​tor·​boat ˈmō-tər-ˌbōt 

plural motorboats

: a boat propelled usually by an internal combustion engine

motorboater

ˈmō-tər-ˌbō-tər 

noun

motorboating

ˈmō-tər-ˌbō-tiŋ 

noun

motorboat

2 of 2

verb

motorboated; motorboating; motorboats

1

intransitive : to travel by motorboat

… I motorboated to the island and scrambled onto the rocks.

—Joe Nickell

2

transitive informal + somewhat impolite : to shake one's head rapidly from side to side between the breasts of (someone) while imitating the sound of a motorboat

Synonyms of motorboat

Noun

• speedboat
• powerboat
• cruiser

Examples of motorboat in a Sentence

Noun

motorboats are banned on the lake because they are a hazard to swimmers

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Tariffs on cement, road salt and hospital pads were removed and replaced with duties on all-terrain vehicles, some cheeses and motorboats. — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026

The military said Chinese coast guard personnel aboard a motorboat repeatedly struck the sailor on the head with a wooden baton, injuring him and damaging his smaller vessel. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026

Today, the use of motorboats has made the hunt increasingly controversial, placing traditional subsistence practices at the center of debates about culture, livelihoods and marine conservation. — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Sailing aboard a 30-foot sloop on Acapulco Bay, Henry Kissinger kept a protective arm around his new wife, as a motorboat filled with the press corps followed. — Robert D. McFadden, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1890, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for motorboat

• anecdote
• antidote
• asymptote
• creosote
• dimethoate
• epidote
• ferryboat
• overcoat
• petticoat
• riverboat
• undercoat
• underwrote

Kids Definition

motorboat

noun

mo·​tor·​boat -ˌbōt 

: a boat driven by a motor