noun
catamaran
kat-uh-muh-RAN
Catamaran (noun) means a boat or ship with two parallel hulls. Example: “They sailed the bay in a hired catamaran.”
noun
1
A boat or ship with two parallel hulls.
"They sailed the bay in a hired catamaran."
"The ferry to the island is a fast catamaran."
"Racing catamarans can reach impressive speeds on flat water."
How to use catamaran
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA boat with two hulls side by side instead of one.
When to use it
It is a standard nautical term, plain across sailing and travel contexts.
Memory tip
The 'twin-hull' idea in the name comes straight from its Tamil roots describing tied-together logs.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
trimaran
Common pairings
sailing catamaran
catamaran ferry
hire a catamaran
catamaran hull
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They sailed the bay in a hired _____.
Etymology
Catamaran was borrowed from the Tamil word kattumaram, itself built from kattu, meaning to tie, and maram, meaning tree or wood, describing the tied-together logs of the original craft.
Synonyms
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twinhull
cat
Related words
Rhymes for catamaran
See all rhymes for catamaran →Frequently asked questions
What is a catamaran?
It is a boat or ship built with two parallel hulls rather than one.
Where does the word catamaran come from?
It comes from the Tamil word kattumaram, built from words meaning 'to tie' and 'tree, wood'.
Why does a catamaran have two hulls?
The twin-hull design is what distinguishes it from a single-hulled monohull boat.
What is the meaning of catamaran?
"catamaran" (noun) means a boat or ship with two parallel hulls.
