noun
dinghy
DIH-ngee
noun
1
A small open boat, often carried aboard a larger ship as a lifeboat or tender, or sailed for sport.
"They rowed the dinghy ashore once the yacht anchored."
"He learned to sail in a small dinghy as a kid."
2
An inflatable rubber raft, especially one used for emergencies.
"The life raft was really just an inflatable dinghy stowed under the seats."
How to Use Dinghy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small boat, often rubber and inflatable, used as a tender or lifeboat, or for casual sailing.
Common pairings
sailing dinghy
inflatable dinghy
row the dinghy
Word Forms
dinghied past tense, dinghies plural, dinghies singular
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Etymology
From Bengali "ḍiṅi", possibly ultimately from a Sanskrit word for a wooden trough.