boatload

American  

[boht-lohd] / ˈboʊtˌloʊd /

noun

1. the cargo that a vessel carries or is capable of carrying.

---

boatload British  

/ ˈbəʊtˌləʊd /

noun

1. the amount of cargo or number of people held by a boat or ship

---

Etymology

Origin of boatload

First recorded in 1670–80; boat + load

Example Sentences

Casting directors are on the lookout for real people who will let hosts, cameramen and crew with a boatload of TV equipment tag along for the ride during a renovation or house hunt.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I can’t make it work to where it would be practical to keep going without me spending a boatload of money and keep putting myself into more debt.”

From The Wall Street Journal

"It's frustrating. That money is going to players who are making an absolute boatload anyway," Murray, who has won three US Open mixed titles, told BBC Sport.

From BBC

But a Southern California man and his co-conspirators devised an elaborate ruse — involving a boatload of fake orders and manipulation of the company’s software — that netted them millions, prosecutors say.

From Los Angeles Times

And that's strange since there have been a boatload of them.

From Salon