yacht

American  

[yot] / yɒt /

noun

1. a vessel used for private cruising, racing, or other noncommercial purposes.

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verb (used without object)

1. to sail, voyage, or race in a yacht.

yacht British  

/ jɒt /

noun

1. a vessel propelled by sail or power, used esp for pleasure cruising, racing, etc

2. short for sand yacht ice yacht

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verb

1. (intr) to sail or cruise in a yacht

Other Word Forms

• superyacht noun
• yachty adjective

Etymology

Origin of yacht

1550–60; < early Dutch jaght, short for jaghtschip hunting ship, equivalent to Dutch jacht hunt (derivative of jagen to hunt) + schip ship ¹

Compare meaning

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

• yacht vs. sailboat

Example Sentences

He recalled donning tuxedos and carrying toy guns pretending to be James Bond on a European yacht vacation and soaring over the Serengeti in a hot air balloon during an East African safari.

From Los Angeles Times

From tail-finned land yachts of the 1960s to hulking family haulers in the 1980s and then the 1990s bestseller Ford Taurus, driving for Americans meant driving a sedan.

From The Wall Street Journal

Emails reveal the wealthy taking proxy measures of one another’s yachts and villas, showboating their riches in ways that make Tom Wolfe’s “Bonfire of the Vanities” look like a genteel glimpse into society mores.

From The Wall Street Journal

Alternatives to the wood in the yacht industry are gaining traction.

From BBC

Previous excuses for failing to file have included being up a mountain or yachting around the world.

From BBC

Related Words

• racer
• sailboat
• sloop