sampan

noun

sam·​pan ˈsam-ˌpan 

: a flat-bottomed skiff used in eastern Asia and usually propelled by two short oars

Examples of sampan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For something quieter, Greenfield-Turk suggests hiring a wooden sampan at dusk and drifting along the Perfume River. — Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026

This village on stilts dances to the sea's rhythm, where sampans sail serene waters, and locals craft shrimp paste under the sun, just like their Tanka ancestors. — Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2026

Malay, Chinese and Indian laborers did laundry, steered sampan boats and cleared land for the White military members. — Lilit Marcus, CNN, 16 Sep. 2022

Housed in a pastel-yellow colonial building opposite a 16th-century church, its entrance is flanked by tall vases, depicting sampan gliding between karst hills. — The Economist, 19 May 2018

The petite young woman who rowed our sampan had powerful, broad shoulders and tough, worn hands gripping the oars. — Diana Lambdin Meyer, kansascity.com, 9 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

Chinese (Guangdong) sàambáan, from sàam three + báan board, plank

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

sampan

noun

sam·​pan ˈsam-ˌpan 

: a flat-bottomed Chinese boat usually moved by oars