boat

1 of 2

noun

ˈbōt How to pronounce boat (audio)
plural boats
Synonyms of boatnext
1
a
: a small vessel for travel on water
b
: ship
2
: a boat-shaped container, utensil, or device
a gravy boat
a laboratory boat
3
informal : a large car
A lot of people still think Cadillac makes big floaty boats.—Mark LaNeve
boatful
ˈbōt-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce boat (audio)
noun
boatlike
ˈbōt-ˌlīk How to pronounce boat (audio)
adjective
see also:
in the same boat

boat

2 of 2

verb

boated; boating; boats

transitive verb

: to place in or bring into a boat

intransitive verb

: to go by boat

Synonyms of boat

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Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of boat in a Sentence

Noun He tied the boat to the dock. Cruise ships and other boats filled the harbor. traveling by boat across the ocean Verb We boated over to the island. boated to the picnic site on an island in the bay
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
As the confrontation escalated, a second boat connected to Simpson, a 39-foot Contender vessel, arrived on scene with a group of lobster divers and also anchored 10 feet from Del Sol's vessel, the arrest affidavit alleges. — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 Around them, the sand and sky are painted so thinly that the weave of the canvas shows through; the shoreline is scumbled; the distant boats are a few strokes of wet on wet paint. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
Calls range from people accidentally slipping into the river and overturned kayaks to boating emergencies and people intentionally entering the water. — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 According to the boaters and birders on the bay, the bird appeared friendly, jumping from boat to boat, and landing at various points along the shoreline. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for boat

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English boot, from Old English bāt; akin to Old Norse beit boat

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of boat was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing boat

Rhymes for boat

See All Rhymes for boat

Browse Nearby Words

boastworthy
boat
boatable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Boat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boat. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

boat

1 of 2 noun
ˈbōt How to pronounce boat (audio)
1
: a small vessel for travel on water
2
: ship entry 1 sense 1
3
: a boat-shaped utensil
gravy boat

boat

2 of 2 verb
1
: to put into or carry in a boat
2
: to travel by boat

More from Merriam-Webster on boat

Nglish: Translation of boat for Spanish Speakers

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