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bateau

American  
[ba-toh, ba-toh] / bæˈtoʊ, baˈtoʊ /

noun

plural

bateaux
  1. Nautical. Also

    1. Chiefly Canadian and Southern U.S.. a small, flat-bottomed rowboat used on rivers.

    2. a half-decked, sloop-rigged boat used for fishing on Chesapeake Bay; skipjack.

    3. (in some regions) a scow.

  2. a pontoon of a floating bridge.


bateau British  
/ bato, bæˈtəʊ /

noun

  1. a light flat-bottomed boat used on rivers in Canada and the northern US

"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 bateau

An Americanism first recorded in 1705–15; from French; Old French batel, equivalent to bat (from Old English bāt boat ) + -el diminutive suffix, from Latin -ellus; see -elle

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.

Visitors can also explore several reconstructed buildings from that era, including a homestead house, and see a bateau riverboat.

From New York Times • Feb. 5, 2023

“The boat we have now is the third boat that our crew has floated,” says Cash, who, together with Smith, has been crewing their own bateau in the festival since 2006.

From Washington Post • Mar. 10, 2022

Forte émotion devant le drame des nombreux morts dû au chavirage d’un bateau de migrants dans la Manche.

From The Guardian • Nov. 24, 2021

In the picture, Portman is wearing what looks like a Dior-inspired, cherry-red dress with bateau neckline and sizable buttons, complemented by a triple strand of pearls.

From Time • Dec. 16, 2015

The river was dark and a bateau mouche went by, all bright with lights, going fast and quiet up and out of sight under the bridge.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

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