steamboat

noun steam·boat \ ˈstēm-ˌbōt \

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

Definition of steamboat

: a boat driven by steam power; specifically : a shallow-draft vessel used on inland waterways

See steamboat defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of steamboat from the Web

On May 2, a race of a different type will take place on the Ohio River when the Great Steamboat Race pits three massive steamboats against one another.

— rosemary mcclure, latimes.com, "A new paddle-wheeler joins the lineup for 2018 Great Steamboat Race in Kentucky," 4 Apr. 2018
Tragedy befell other steamboats built in Cincinnati.

— jeff suess, Cincinnati.com, "Our history: Steamboat explosion led to federal regulations," 14 Mar. 2018
The group, 110 strong, originally asked their captor, an Alabama steamboat captain and plantation owner named Timothy Meaher, to pay for passage back to Africa.

— ben raines, AL.com, "Wreck found in Delta not the Clotilda, the last American slave ship," 5 Mar. 2018
The group, 110 strong, originally asked their captor, an Alabama steamboat captain and plantation owner named Timothy Meaher, to pay for passage back to Africa.

— ben raines, AL.com, "Wreck found in Delta not the Clotilda, the last American slave ship," 5 Mar. 2018
The second shot is also of the CCC, though from a different angle, with a steamboat in the foreground.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "'When We First Met' movie review: When will New Orleans get the romantic comedy it deserves?," 7 Feb. 2018
Posey, an enterprising black steamboat engineer and coal magnate, The Courier’s fortunes were favorable at the outset when Posey decided the newspaper could best be run by a dignified, resourceful attorney named Robert L. Vann.

— gene seymour, USA TODAY, "'Smoketown' celebrates Pittsburgh's little-known 'Black Renaissance'," 31 Jan. 2018
But by April 25, the weather had turned fine in St. Louis, where the steamboat Omega stood alongside the wharf, its bow pointed upriver.

— william souder, Smithsonian, "The Fantastic Beasts of John James Audubon’s Little-Known Book on Mammals," 23 Feb. 2018
The stage was covered by a drop curtain that had a painting of the burning steamboat Bulletin No. 2, a disaster survived by young Church and his white father and master, Captian Charles B. Church.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "The Making of a Black Fortune," 20 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'steamboat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of steamboat

1785

STEAMBOAT Defined for English Language Learners

steamboat

noun

Definition of steamboat for English Language Learners

: a boat that is powered by steam

STEAMBOAT Defined for Kids

steamboat

noun steam·boat \ ˈstēm-ˌbōt \

Definition of steamboat for Students

: a boat powered by steam

Learn More about steamboat

See words that rhyme with steamboat Spanish Central: Translation of steamboat Nglish: Translation of steamboat for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of steamboat for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about steamboat

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steamboat

Definition of steamboat

Recent Examples of steamboat from the Web

First Known Use of steamboat

STEAMBOAT Defined for English Language Learners

steamboat

Definition of steamboat for English Language Learners

STEAMBOAT Defined for Kids

steamboat

Definition of steamboat for Students

Learn More about steamboat

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Definition of steamboat

Recent Examples of steamboat from the Web

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STEAMBOAT Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of steamboat for English Language Learners

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steamboat

Definition of steamboat for Students

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