catamaran
Americannoun
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a vessel, usually propelled by sail, formed of two hulls or floats held side by side by a frame above them.
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a float or sailing raft formed of a number of logs lashed together, used in certain parts of India, South America, etc.
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Canadian Dialect. a wooden sled.
noun
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a sailing, or sometimes motored, vessel with twin hulls held parallel by a rigid framework
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a primitive raft made of logs lashed together
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old-fashioned a quarrelsome woman
Etymology
Origin of catamaran
First recorded in 1670–80; from Tamil kaṭṭa-maram “tied wood”
Explanation
A catamaran is a type of sailboat with two hulls that are parallel to each other and are joined by the deck. A catamaran's distinguishing feature is its two-part structure. It has two hulls that are side by side, linked by a single deck. Catamaran is one of a few English words that come from Tamil, and it was originally a simple boat with two hulls made from tied tree trunks. Now it can be a much fancier sailboat such as a yacht.
Vocabulary lists containing catamaran
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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.
Ms Murty also wound up her start-up investment firm, Catamaran Ventures UK, last month and donated the shares to charity.
From BBC • Jan. 9, 2024
"She owns a venture capital investment company, Catamaran Ventures UK Limited, and a number of direct shareholdings," the document said.
From Reuters • Apr. 19, 2023
Mr. Sunak transferred his stake in Catamaran to his wife just before he was elected to Parliament in 2015.
From New York Times • Oct. 28, 2022
She also owns start-up incubator Catamaran Ventures UK and has shares in a half dozen or so other companies.
From Washington Post • Oct. 24, 2022
Gliding back upon the planks of the raft, he laid hold of the detached oar; and once more plying it as a paddle, he endeavoured to propel the Catamaran up the wind.
From The Ocean Waifs A Story of Adventure on Land and Sea by Reid, Mayne
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
