riverboat

noun

riv·​er·​boat ˈri-vər-ˌbōt How to pronounce riverboat (audio)
Synonyms of riverboatnext
: a boat for use on a river

Examples of riverboat in a Sentence

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.
Before joining Thunder Valley, Clayton built a career spanning more than 44 years in commercial casinos, racinos, riverboat gaming and tribal gaming operations, giving her experience across nearly every segment of the gaming industry. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026 The 28-foot tall, 105-foot-long Mark Twain riverboat still takes travelers through the Rivers of America today, making the loop around Tom Sawyer Island. — Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 This riverboat line warmly welcomes singles, with crew specially trained to ensure these travelers always feel included. — Janice Wald Henderson, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 June 2026 Wednesday afternoon, thousands of Scots will be in Broward, partying at pubs and riding on riverboats in Fort Lauderdale. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for riverboat

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of riverboat was in 1565

Rhymes for riverboat

See All Rhymes for riverboat

Browse Nearby Words

river blue
riverboat
riverboatman
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Riverboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riverboat. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

riverboat

noun
riv·​er·​boat -ˌbōt How to pronounce riverboat (audio)
: a boat used (as for carrying passengers or freight) on a river

More from Merriam-Webster on riverboat

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for riverboat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about riverboat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of invidious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All