ferry

1 of 2

verb

fer·​ry ˈfer-ē 

ˈfe-rē

ferried; ferrying

transitive verb

1

a

: to carry by boat over a body of water

b

: to cross by a ferry

2

a

: to convey (as by aircraft or motor vehicle) from one place to another : transport

b

: to fly (an airplane) from the factory or other shipping point to a designated delivery point or from one base to another

intransitive verb

: to cross water in a boat

ferry

2 of 2

noun

plural ferries

1

: a place where persons or things are carried across a body of water (such as a river) in a boat

2

: ferryboat

3

: a franchise or right to operate a ferry service across a body of water

4

: an organized service and route for flying airplanes especially across a sea or continent for delivery to the user

Synonyms

Verb

• bear
• carry
• cart
• convey
• haul
• lug
• pack
• tote
• transport

Examples of ferry in a Sentence

Verb

The cars were ferried across the river.

They ferry supplies to the island.

Noun

Ferries to both islands depart daily.

You can get there by ferry.

We'll meet you at the ferry.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Some 110 years ago, a picturesque new road known as Roosevelt Boulevard began ferrying vehicles across the nascent but burgeoning neighborhoods of North and Northeast Philadelphia. —David Zipper, Vox, 13 Nov. 2024

But the barrier can’t be too solid: It’s studded with proteins, which need some wiggle room to carry out their various cellular jobs, such as ferrying molecules across the membrane. —Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 20 Oct. 2024

Noun

While ferries don't have the same charging requirements as heavier ships, many companies are building redundancies into their crafts to ensure longer trips and less time at the charging station: Many ferries are powered by both batteries and diesel engines that can be used to offset one another. —Leah Carroll, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

After a ferry delivered him to Oakland, Muir set out on foot and walked some 300 miles to Yosemite in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. —Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English ferien, from Old English ferian to carry, convey; akin to Old English faran to go — more at fare

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

ferry

1 of 2 verb

fer·​ry ˈfer-ē 

ferried; ferrying

1

a

: to carry by boat over a body of water

b

: to cross by a ferry

2

a

: to carry (as by aircraft or motor vehicle) from one place to another

b

: to deliver (an airplane) by flying it to its destination

ferry

2 of 2 noun

plural ferries

1

: a place where persons or things are ferried

2

: ferryboat