houseboat

noun

house·​boat ˈhau̇s-ˌbōt How to pronounce houseboat (audio)
: a boat fitted for use as a dwelling
especially : a pleasure craft with a broad beam, a usually shallow draft, and a large superstructure resembling a house
houseboater noun

Examples of houseboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The red shrimp boat, which borrows its looks from Donald Duck's houseboat, was Seim's ideal way of pairing play and culture. Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 30 Sep. 2024 An overnight cruise around Ashtamudi Lake on the hotel’s Mahayana houseboat, a two-bedroom vessel with hotel trappings, is a worthwhile experience. Prasad Ramamurthy, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2024 Their balconies tower over houseboats, new parks and construction sites. Rick Noack, Washington Post, 25 July 2024 The remaining 16 patients were treated and released at the houseboat, the park service said. Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 18 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for houseboat 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'houseboat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1772, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of houseboat was in 1772

Dictionary Entries Near houseboat

Cite this Entry

“Houseboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/houseboat. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

houseboat

noun
house·​boat ˈhau̇s-ˌbōt How to pronounce houseboat (audio)
: a roomy usually shallow and flat-bottomed pleasure boat equipped for use as a dwelling or for cruising

More from Merriam-Webster on houseboat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!