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

When McGrew turned around to pick up the girl, police say she was run over by the pontoon's propeller and sustained serious injuries. — Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Two other people who had been aboard the pontoon left before law enforcement arrived. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026

That is, of course, unless your boating day also includes fresh Chick-fil-A sandwiches delivered straight to your pontoon. — Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 25 July 2026

Nelson and her husband, Kurt Krumenauer, were hospitalized after a one-boat pontoon accident on Balsam Lake in Wisconsin. — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 21 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