dhow

American  

[dou] / daʊ /

Or dau,

noun

1. any of various types of sailing vessels used by Arabs on the east African, Arabian, and Indian coasts, generally lateen-rigged on two or three masts.

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dhow British  

/ daʊ /

noun

1. a lateen-rigged coastal Arab sailing vessel with one or two masts

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Etymology

Origin of dhow

First recorded in 1795–1805, dhow is from the Arabic word dāwa

Example Sentences

Flohr, 38, says her favorite adventure is sailing on a traditional Mozambican dhow, or fishing boat, to a remote island nearby, where a picnic awaits.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025

Diamond spends several days tracking a suspect fishing vessel, or dhow.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2024

During that nighttime commando mission, according to the U.S. military, American troops boarded a small boat, called a dhow, and seized weapons including Iranian made ballistic-missile and cruise-missile components bound for Yemen.

From New York Times • Jan. 22, 2024

The standard ship of the region, called a dhow, was a vessel made of coconut-wood planks sewn together with coconut fiber.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

By the aid of Arab charts it was found that the dhow was now within six hundred miles of Pangawani, the nearest port in the Kilba Protectorate, and, indeed, the nearest territory under British rule.

From The Wireless Officer by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)