pontoon

¹ American  

[pon-toon] / pɒnˈtun /

Also ponton

noun

1. Military. a boat or some other floating structure used as one of the supports for a temporary bridge over a river.

2. a float for a derrick, landing stage, etc.

3. Nautical. a float for raising a sunken or deeply laden vessel in the water; a camel or caisson.

4. a seaplane float.

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pontoon ² American  

[pon-toon] / pɒnˈtun /

noun

British.

1. the card game twenty-one.

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pontoon ¹ British  

/ pɒnˈtuːn /

noun

1. 1. a watertight float or vessel used where buoyancy is required in water, as in supporting a bridge, in salvage work, or where a temporary or mobile structure is required in military operations

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pontoon bridge

2. nautical a float, often inflatable, for raising a vessel in the water

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pontoon ² British  

/ pɒnˈtuːn /

noun

1. Also called: twenty-one, vingt-et-un. a gambling game in which players try to obtain card combinations worth 21 points

2. (in this game) the combination of an ace with a ten or court card when dealt to a player as his first two cards

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Etymology

Origin of pontoon¹

1585–95; < French ponton < Latin pontōn- (stem of pontō ) flat-bottomed boat, punt

Origin of pontoon²

1915–20; alteration of French vingt-et-un twenty-one

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Explanation

A pontoon is a flat boat that floats with the help of hollow tubes, also called pontoons. A lakeside resort might have pontoons and canoes that you can rent for the day. The feature that distinguishes a pontoon, or pontoon boat, is the use of airtight cylinders to keep it buoyant. You can call these structures pontoons or floats, and they're used for things like houseboats, and some seaplanes that can land on water — and float there, thanks to pontoons. Sometimes pontoons are also used to support bridges and docks. The word stems from the Latin pontonem, "flat-bottomed boat," and its root pons, or "bridge."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pontoon

The city was developing alternative pontoon crossings to help ease the gridlock, the mayor added.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

The city was developing alternative pontoon crossings to help ease the gridlock in a city with a daytime population -- including commuters -- of around 3.5 million.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

From the pontoon, she pointed out the marshy shore and sea of pines at stake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

What to Do: Rent a pontoon boat on Lake Wallenpaupack, then work off the camp-candy crash with a hike through Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

Then in the afternoon, we went to Punda and stood near the pontoon bridge as she steamed slowly down St. Anna Bay.

From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor

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