bilander

or bil·lan·der

[ bil-uhn-der ]

/ ˈbɪl ən dər /

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noun

a small two-masted merchant vessel, a type of hoy distinguished by the trapezoidal shape of the mainsail, used especially on canals and along coasts of the Low Countries.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of bilander

1655–65; <Dutch bijlander from obsolete Dutch billander, binlander hoy¹ in the sense “a vessel with large mast for sailing along coast” <bij “by” + land “land”

Words nearby bilander

Biko, Bikol, Bikram yoga, bilabial, bilabiate, bilander, bilateral, bilateralism, bilateral symmetry, bilateral trade, Bila Tserkva

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bilander in a sentence

There were three craft, all of different rig—a schooner, a ketch, and the said bilander.
Mary Anerley|R. D. Blackmore
The bilander was a good sizable object, and not to hit her anywhere would be too bad.
Mary Anerley|R. D. Blackmore
Well, mynheer, you have only to pay the difference, and the ketch will do; the bilander sails almost as fast.
Mary Anerley|R. D. Blackmore
They called her "the lugger," though her rig was widely different from that, and her due title was "bilander."
Mary Anerley|R. D. Blackmore

But the shot only threw up a long path of fountains, and the bilander ploughed on as merrily as before.
Mary Anerley|R. D. Blackmore

British Dictionary definitions for bilander

bilander

/ (ˈbɪləndə) /

noun

a small two-masted cargo ship

Word Origin for bilander

C17: from Dutch, literally: by-lander, because used on canals

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