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 miss the boat rock the 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
On a drizzly morning in March 2025, a bright blue dive boat motored through Halifax Harbor in Nova Scotia toward the Tufts Cove generating station. — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 The hotel can also arrange transportation by boat, helicopter, or private plane—alternatively, come by yacht and anchor down at the edge of the bay. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
Naya Rivera, who played cheerleader Santana Lopez, died in an accidental drowning while boating with her 4-year-old son on a California lake in 2020. — Saba Hamedy, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026 In the years since the series concluded, another loss was suffered as Rivera, who played Santana Lopez, died from drowning in 2020 after going boating with her four-year-old son. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 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
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