motorboat

[moh-ter-boht]

noun

1. a boat propelled by an inboard or outboard motor.

verb (used without object)

1. to travel in or operate a motorboat.

   to motorboat from Hyannis to Martha's Vineyard.

motorboat

/ ˈməʊtəˌbəʊt /

noun

1. any boat powered by a motor

Other Word Forms

• motorboater noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of motorboat¹

First recorded in 1900–05; motor + boat

Example Sentences

This summer, Carle has continued his research at night, setting out in a motorboat on Mono Lake to catch phalaropes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"Its scientific, ecological, cultural importance, whether you are an artist, a poet, wild swimmer, motorboat owner, it's just intertwined in the whole kind of social and ecological fabric of the Lake District," he added.

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On a recent morning, Miller steered a motorboat to the islands where gulls nest.

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In essence, it was a big raft, with tall, reinforced sides on 60 empty steel drums for buoyancy, towed by motorboat.

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Jagged grey peaks suddenly appear before us, as the motorboat navigates choppy coastal waters and dramatic fjords at Greenland's southern tip.

Read more on BBC