skiff

noun

ˈskif 

: any of various small boats

especially : a flat-bottomed rowboat

Examples of skiff in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Matt Steven stepped into the booth at the start of 2026, having already coached New Zealand’s 49er skiff crew to an Olympic silver medal at Paris 2024. — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

The teen told White that his brother was still under the skiff at the time of his rescue, according to the Anchorage Daily News. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026

Dozens of sunken skiffs and speedboats, long written off by their owners, sat dry on the sand. — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Alas, the Launchpad’s crew did not respond to the request, and a nearby cruise ship came to the rescue instead, towing the skiff back to port. — Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English skif, from Middle French or Old Italian; Middle French esquif, from Old Italian schifo, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English scip ship

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for skiff

• biff
• cliff
• diff
• glyph
• griff
• if
• riff
• schiff
• sniff
• stiff
• tiff
• whiff

Kids Definition

skiff

noun

ˈskif 

: any of various small boats

especially : a flat-bottomed rowboat