pontoon

1 of 2

noun (1)

pon·​toon pän-ˈtün 

1

: a flat-bottomed boat (such as a lighter)

especially : a flat-bottomed boat or portable float used in building a floating temporary bridge

2

: a float especially of a seaplane

pontoon

2 of 2

noun (2)

British

: blackjack sense 1

Examples of pontoon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Heavy-duty lifeline The pontoon barge used in the operation measures approximately 60 meters in length and eight meters in width. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026

Authorities said their initial belief that the group was on a pontoon boat were not correct. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 15 July 2026

Crispin described the vessel as a three-deck pontoon boat that was roughly 600 yards from Alcatraz Island when the boat capsized. — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026

Holiday Shores Watersports Center Rent a WaveRunner, pontoon, or ski boat for up-close views of Lake Delton and the sandstone dells along the Wisconsin River. — Alicia Underlee Nelson, Midwest Living, 15 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

French ponton, from Old French, from Latin ponton-, ponto

Noun (2)

perhaps alteration of vingt-et-un

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1676, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1917, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pontoon

• pontoon bridge
• pontoon plane

Rhymes for pontoon

• attune
• baboon
• balloon
• bassoon
• buffoon
• cartoon
• cocoon
• festoon
• gaboon
• harpoon
• immune
• impugn

Kids Definition

pontoon

noun

pon·​toon

pän-ˈtün

1

: a flat-bottomed boat

2

: a float used in building a floating bridge

3

: a float of an airplane

Etymology

Noun

from French ponton "a floating bridge, punt," from Latin ponton-, ponto (same meaning), from pont-, pons "bridge" — related to punt entry 1