barge

[ bahrj ]

noun

1. a capacious, flat-bottomed vessel, usually intended to be pushed or towed, for transporting freight or passengers; lighter.
2. a vessel of state used in pageants:

   elegantly decorated barges on the Grand Canal in Venice.

3. Navy. a boat reserved for a flag officer.
4. a boat that is heavier and wider than a shell, often used in racing as a training boat.
5. New England (chiefly Older Use). a large, horse-drawn coach or, sometimes, a bus.

verb (used without object)

, barged, barg·ing.

1. to move clumsily; bump into things; collide:

   to barge through a crowd.

2. to move in the slow, heavy manner of a barge.

verb (used with object)

, barged, barg·ing.

1. to carry or transport by barge:

   Coal and ore had been barged down the Ohio to the Mississippi.

verb phrase

1. to intrude, especially rudely:

   I hated to barge in without an invitation.

2. 1. Also barge in on. to force oneself upon, especially rudely; interfere in:

      to barge into a conversation.

   2. to bump into; collide with:

      He started to run away and barged into a passer-by.

barge

/ bɑːdʒ /

noun

1. a vessel, usually flat-bottomed and with or without its own power, used for transporting freight, esp on canals
2. a vessel, often decorated, used in pageants, for state occasions, etc
3. navy a boat allocated to a flag officer, used esp for ceremonial occasions and often carried on board his flagship
4. humorous.
   any vessel, esp an old or clumsy one
5. informal.
   a heavy or cumbersome surfboard

verb

1. informal.
   intrfoll byinto to bump (into)
2. informal.
   tr to push (someone or one's way) violently
3. informal.
   intr; foll by into or in to interrupt rudely or clumsily

   to barge into a conversation

4. tr sailing to bear down on (another boat or boats) at the start of a race
5. tr to transport by barge
6. informal.
   intr to move slowly or clumsily

Word History and Origins

Origin of barge¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Middle French, perhaps < Latin *bārica; bark ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of barge¹

C13: from Old French, from Medieval Latin barga , probably from Late Latin barca a small boat; see barque

Example Sentences

I wandered around aimlessly for a while, then gave the goose to an acquiescent hippy on a barge.

From The Daily Beast

His shirt was torn, one of his worn sneakers was more like a rubber-soled barge—the SS Nike.

From The Daily Beast

When they moved back to London, the only accommodation they could afford was a freezing, leaky barge on the Thames.

From The Daily Beast

At last, two peasants barge into the scene, with spades and threshers on their backs.

From The Daily Beast

Because without them, and the things they make, the world would be a garbage barge.

From The Daily Beast

From this child's arm matter was taken and transferred to that of J. Barge, a boy of seven years old.

From Project Gutenberg

One day, Kari and Kopee and I went to the river bank to help pull a big barge up the river.

From Project Gutenberg

The rope almost broke and the barge swayed in the water, almost toppled, and then drifted to its previous position.

From Project Gutenberg

After he had pulled the barge about two hundred yards he stopped; the rope slackened and then the current pulled against us.

From Project Gutenberg

That done we went to the Globe and there had a good dinner, and by and by took barge again and so home.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• raft