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

The nautical equipment was iffy, one aluminum fishing boat and a two-story pontoon boat that resembled a facility that firemen could train on, climbing up and down and swinging under pipes. —Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 30 May 2026

The waterbike, a bicycle retrofitted with inflatable pontoons and a small propeller, takes five to 10 minutes to learn, requires no swimming or cycling experience and, from the bay, puts Oracle Park and the city skyline into a frame most visitors never find. —Winston Ross, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026

Juan Carlos Garcia-Guitierrez of Lancaster had been in a pontoon boat on the lake before jumping into the water for a swim. —Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 25 May 2026

Jocassee Lake Tours has kayaks to rent, and Electric Sun has canoes, paddleboards, and pontoon boats, as well as kayaks. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 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