yacht

noun \ ˈyät \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of yacht

: any of various recreational watercraft: such as

a : a sailboat used for racing

b : a large usually motor-driven craft used for pleasure cruising

See yacht defined for English-language learners

See yacht defined for kids

Recent Examples of yacht from the Web

Some check into the Four Seasons Hotel while others arrive and stay on their yachts.

— anna beahm, AL.com, "Bibb County officer shoots man in arm during stolen car investigation, ALEA investigating," 10 Apr. 2018
Vashukevich’s public Instagram posts of the yacht trip remained unnoticed for more than a year.

— andrew prokop, Vox, "The escort claiming to have tapes proving Russian interference in the US election, explained," 3 Apr. 2018
In the 2016 Clipper Round the World Race, an amateur version of the Volvo, two crew members of a yacht were killed in separate incidents.

— victor mather, New York Times, "Sailor in Round-the-World Race Is ‘Lost at Sea’," 27 Mar. 2018
Oceanographer and sailboat racer Charles Moore noticed the plastic soup while sailing his yacht in the Pacific ocean between Hawaii and California.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Is Much Larger and Chunkier Than We Thought," 23 Mar. 2018
Not sure whether the skipper of Curry’s yacht was Derek Carr.

— scott ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, "Discarded athletes find good homes in Bay Area," 17 Mar. 2018
At Ritz-Carlton, its 300-person yachts will focus on intimate experiences with more dining options than traditional small ships and stops at more remote posts.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "Cruising was more popular than ever in 2017 — and big changes are coming | Miami Herald," 6 Mar. 2018
Navalny, whose past investigations focused on public corruption in Russia, said his research exposed bribe taking based on Prikhodko's use of Deripaska's yacht, escort, and travel on Deripaska's private jets to and from the boat after their cruise.

— oren dorell, USA TODAY, "Alleged Kremlin call girl begs for U.S. rescue from Thai jail," 27 Feb. 2018
Just like Ana and Christian’s jet ski ride from the beach to their yacht, this movie is flying by.

— peggy truong, Cosmopolitan, "53 Thoughts You Have Watching Fifty Shades Freed," 8 Feb. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of yacht

obsolete Dutch jaght, from Middle Low German jacht, short for jachtschip, literally, hunting ship

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1557

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Nautical Terms

avast, aweigh, flotsam, jib, keel, lee, port, starboard, stay

yacht

verb

Definition of yacht

intransitive verb

: to race or cruise in a yacht

Recent Examples of yacht from the Web

After taking a week off from Instagram, Selena Gomez posted a video of her friends yachting, eating avocados, and smiling in Australia.

— emily sundberg, The Cut, "Selena Gomez’s Yacht Video Aims to Debunk the ‘Beauty Myth’," 20 Mar. 2018
Since leaving the White House in January, Barack and Michelle Obama have been yachting, eating gelato and enjoying the best of what the world has to offer.

— ashley hoffman, Time, "Michelle Obama Wished Barack Obama a Happy Birthday With the Sweetest Throwback Photo," 4 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of yacht

1836

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Nautical Terms

avast, aweigh, flotsam, jib, keel, lee, port, starboard, stay

YACHT Defined for English Language Learners

yacht

noun

Definition of yacht for English Language Learners

: a large boat that is used for racing or pleasure

YACHT Defined for Kids

yacht

noun \ ˈyät \

Definition of yacht for Students

: a small ship used for pleasure cruising or racing

History for yacht

In the 1500s the Dutch developed a kind of fast-moving sailing ship for use in coastal waters and river mouths. These vessels were called by the name jaght, short for jachtschip or jageschip in Dutch and German dialects—literally, “hunting ship” or “pursuit ship.” The word was soon borrowed into English as yoath or yaught. The spelling jacht or yacht became widespread after 1660, when the English king Charles II was given such a boat, dubbed the Mary, by the Dutch East India Company. The king chose to use the boat for excursions and racing, and the word yacht became attached to other vessels used for the same purposes.