pontoon

1 of 2

noun (1)

pon·​toon pän-ˈtün 

1

: a flat-bottomed boat (such as a lighter)

especially : a flat-bottomed boat or portable float used in building a floating temporary bridge

2

: a float especially of a seaplane

pontoon

2 of 2

noun (2)

British

: blackjack sense 1

Examples of pontoon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Bach Boats rents pontoons with waterslides, deck boats, and other vessels to take out for the day. —Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2024

The 45-foot-long, yellow pontoon named Woodstock, in honor of one of the original three Alameda settlements formed in 1853, will have room for roughly 34 people and 14 bicycles. —Kristin J. Bender, The Mercury News, 17 July 2024

Located around the Michael Kirwan Reservoir in Portage County, West Branch is a boater's paradise, with canoe and kayak rentals, sailboats, pontoons and jet skis zipping in and out of the coves and feeder channels. —Axios Local, Axios, 1 Aug. 2024

Authorities said two other pontoon passengers remained hospitalized Sunday - a 12-year-old girl in critical condition and a man being treated for undisclosed injuries. —CBS News, 29 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

French ponton, from Old French, from Latin ponton-, ponto

Noun (2)

perhaps alteration of vingt-et-un

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1676, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1917, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pontoon

• pontoon bridge
• pontoon plane

Kids Definition

pontoon

noun

pon·​toon

pän-ˈtün

1

: a flat-bottomed boat

2

: a float used in building a floating bridge

3

: a float of an airplane

Etymology

Noun

from French ponton "a floating bridge, punt," from Latin ponton-, ponto (same meaning), from pont-, pons "bridge" — related to punt entry 1