boat
BOHT
Boat (noun) means a vehicle for travelling on water, generally smaller than a ship. Example: “Fishermen pushed the wooden boat into the water just before dawn.”
noun
1
A vehicle for travelling on water, generally smaller than a ship.
"Fishermen pushed the wooden boat into the water just before dawn."
"We sat in the little boat and watched the ducks swim past."
"We hired a small boat to explore the lake."
verb
1
To travel by boat.
"On summer weekends, they like to boat along the river with a picnic."
"We boated across the bay and stopped for lunch on a quiet beach."
"They boated down the coast for three days."
How to use boat
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA craft for travelling on water, smaller than a ship.
Common pairings
rowing boat
miss the boat
rock the boat
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- boats
- Past tense
- boated
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Fishermen pushed the wooden _____ into the water just before dawn.
Etymology
From Old English bāt, an ancient Germanic word for a small vessel.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for boat
See all rhymes for boat →Frequently asked questions
What does “boat” mean?
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.
How do you pronounce “boat”?
“Boat” is pronounced BOHT (/ˈboʊ̯t/ in IPA).
How do you use “boat” in a sentence?
Here is “boat” used in a sentence: “We hired a small boat to explore the lake.”
What part of speech is “boat”?
Depending on how it is used, “boat” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “boat” come from?
The word “boat” comes from Old English. From Old English bāt, an ancient Germanic word for a small vessel.
Is “boat” a common word?
“Boat” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “boat” have?
“Boat” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a vehicle for travelling on water, generally smaller than a ship.
What is the difference between a boat and 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.
What are the types of boats?
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.
What is an example of a boat?
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.
Is a yacht 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.
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