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Synonyms

sloop

American  
[sloop] / slup /

noun

  1. a single-masted, fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel, with or without a bowsprit, having a jib-headed or gaff mainsail, the latter sometimes with a gaff topsail, and one or more headsails.


sloop British  
/ sluːp /

noun

  1. a single-masted sailing vessel, rigged fore-and-aft, with the mast stepped about one third of the overall length aft of the bow Compare cutter

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sloop

1620–30; < Dutch sloep; akin to Old English slūpan to glide

Compare meaning

How does sloop compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Explanation

A sailboat with one mast is known as a sloop. In general, sloops are known as speedy boats that are relatively simple to rig with sails. If you spot a sailboat with a single mast and two sails, it's almost certainly a sloop. Sloops come in many sizes, from small dinghies to 100-foot sailboats. What they have in common is the way they're rigged, or how their sails and masts are organized. A sloop's rigging is usually "fore and aft," with one sail in front of the mast and one behind it. The word sloop comes from the Middle Dutch slupen, "to glide."

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Vocabulary lists containing sloop

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In addition to King’s Hardware, a rustically decorated bar with arcade games and a cozy patio, readers recommended Sloop Tavern, Veraci Pizza, Mike’s Chili Parlor, Kiss Cafe and Hattie’s Hat.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 28, 2024

Mr. Sloop performed CPR on Mr. Burks to no avail.

From New York Times • Mar. 12, 2024

It was inside historic Sloop Chapel at the Crossnore School in Crossnore: “Suffer the Little Children,” painted in 2006.

From Washington Post • May 6, 2021

The interview was conducted by John Sloop, who had been at the hotel room meeting as a member of Silverstein’s technical staff.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2020

We could see the wide Channel & even Boston-Town, & — my God, I do not jest—there, drawing up, was a Sloop & a Schooner, discharged Boats with Parliament’s Marines to protect their seized Animals.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

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