boat

The word “boat” means a vehicle for travelling on water, generally smaller than a ship. In plain terms, a craft for travelling on water, smaller than a ship.

“Boat” is pronounced BOHT (/ˈboʊ̯t/ in IPA).

Here is “boat” used in a sentence: “We hired a small boat to explore the lake.”

Depending on how it is used, “boat” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “boat” comes from Old English. From Old English bāt, an ancient Germanic word for a small vessel.

“Boat” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Boat” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a vehicle for travelling on water, generally smaller than a ship.

Size is the main distinction: boats are smaller, ships are large and usually built for open-sea or ocean voyages. A common rule of thumb is that a ship can carry a boat aboard, but a boat cannot carry a ship. Lifeboats and small craft stay boats even when carried by a ship.

Boats come in many forms depending on how they are powered and used. Common types include rowing boats, sailing boats, motorboats, canoes, kayaks, dinghies, fishing boats, and ferries. Some rely on oars or paddles, others on sails or engines, but all are watercraft smaller than a ship.

Everyday examples include a rowing boat on a lake, a small fishing boat, a canoe, a sailing dinghy, or a motorboat. Each carries people or goods across water and is modest in size. A cruise liner or cargo vessel, being far larger and ocean-going, counts as a ship rather than a boat.

Yes, a yacht is a type of boat used mainly for leisure, cruising, or racing, whether powered by sail or engine. Smaller yachts are clearly boats; very large luxury yachts blur the line and are sometimes called ships. In everyday use, though, most people class a yacht as a boat.