plural boats
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
Mark LaNeve
boated; boating; boats
: to place in or bring into a boat
: to go by boat
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
Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025
Escaping a sudden, massive flood, a smart, mischievous black cat clambers aboard a boat shared by a dog, a capybara, and a lemur, as well as a long-legged secretary bird.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 2 Mar. 2025
David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
Dorsey first learned of Rivera’s disappearance from a family relative while grocery shopping, People reported, and sped 145 miles to Lake Piru, where Rivera and her son Josey went boating.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boat
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Noun
The United States issued a stern warning to the Nicolás Maduro regime on Saturday following reports that a Venezuelan patrol boat entered into Guyanaese waters, threatening ExxonMobil’s offshore operations.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025
Escaping a sudden, massive flood, a smart, mischievous black cat clambers aboard a boat shared by a dog, a capybara, and a lemur, as well as a long-legged secretary bird.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
During these inspections, officers often find other violations of the law, including boating under the influence of alcohol.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
Dorsey first learned of Rivera’s disappearance from a family relative while grocery shopping, People reported, and sped 145 miles to Lake Piru, where Rivera and her son Josey went boating.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boat
Articles Related to boat
Cite this Entry
“Boat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boat. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boat
1 of 2 noun1
: a small vessel for travel on water
3
: a boat-shaped utensil
gravy boat
boat
2 of 2 verb1
: to put into or carry in a boat
2
: to travel by boat
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