ferry
FEH-ree
Ferry (noun) means a boat or ship that carries passengers and vehicles across a stretch of water on a regular route. Example: “Cars queued at the harbour to drive onto the ferry before sunset.”
noun
1
A boat or ship that carries passengers and vehicles across a stretch of water on a regular route.
"Cars queued at the harbour to drive onto the ferry before sunset."
"We took the ferry across the channel instead of flying."
"The ferry runs every hour during the summer season."
verb
1
To transport people or things, especially back and forth or across water.
"Volunteers ferried the stranded walkers back to the village in two minibuses."
"A small boat ferried supplies out to the island."
"She spent the afternoon ferrying kids to and from football practice."
How to use ferry
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA boat that regularly carries people or vehicles across water, or the act of transporting something back and forth.
Common pairings
take the ferry
ferry passengers
ferry crossing
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Word forms
- Plural
- ferries
- Third person singular
- ferries
- Past tense
- ferried
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Cars queued at the harbour to drive onto the _____ before sunset.
Etymology
The verb comes from Old English ferian, "to carry," related to English "fare" (as in "thoroughfare"); the noun sense of a water crossing developed under the influence of Old Norse ferja.
Related words
Rhymes for ferry
See all rhymes for ferry →Frequently asked questions
What does “ferry” mean?
The word “ferry” means a boat or ship that carries passengers and vehicles across a stretch of water on a regular route. In plain terms, a boat that regularly carries people or vehicles across water, or the act of transporting something back and forth.
How do you pronounce “ferry”?
“Ferry” is pronounced FEH-ree (/ˈfɛɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “ferry” in a sentence?
Here is “ferry” used in a sentence: “We took the ferry across the channel instead of flying.”
What part of speech is “ferry”?
Depending on how it is used, “ferry” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “ferry” come from?
The word “ferry” comes from Old English. The verb comes from Old English ferian, "to carry," related to English "fare" (as in "thoroughfare"); the noun sense of a water crossing developed under the influence of Old Norse ferja.
Is “ferry” a common word?
“Ferry” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “ferry” have?
“Ferry” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a boat or ship that carries passengers and vehicles across a stretch of water on a regular route.
What is the difference between a ferry and a regular boat?
A ferry is a specific kind of boat or ship: one that carries passengers and vehicles across a stretch of water on a regular route. Boat is the general word for a watercraft, so every ferry is a boat or ship, but only vessels running a scheduled crossing service are ferries.
What is the difference between a ferry and a cruise ship?
A ferry provides transport, carrying passengers and often vehicles across water on a regular route, so reaching the destination is the point. A cruise ship provides a leisure voyage where the journey itself is the vacation, typically with cabins, restaurants, and entertainment on board.
Can ferry be used as a verb?
Yes. To ferry people or things means to transport them, especially back and forth or across water, as in "parents ferrying children to school" or "boats ferried supplies to the island." The verb keeps the idea of repeated trips over the same route.
What is the plural of ferry?
The plural of ferry is "ferries." Because the word ends in a consonant plus -y, the -y changes to -ies, and the same spelling change appears in the verb forms "ferries" and "ferried."
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