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

For something with a little more oomph, local marinas offer boat rentals ranging from pontoons to deck boats. — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 30 June 2026

While some soon-to-be-retirees are called to the beach or the mountains, others are drawn to lake living and all its perks, like watching sunsets on the dock, grilling outside, and taking the pontoon boat out for daily cruises. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 28 June 2026

Captain An Electric Boat Around Morro Bay Estero Adventures rents quiet electric pontoon boats that visitors operate themselves. — David Hochman, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

But nature is the real reason people step on his pontoon. — John Lauritsen, CBS News, 25 June 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