ferry

[fer-ee]

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noun, plural fer·ries.

a commercial service with terminals and boats for transporting persons, automobiles, etc., across a river or other comparatively small body of water.

a ferryboat.

a service for flying airplanes over a particular route, especially the delivery of airplanes to an overseas purchaser or base of operations.

the legal right to ferry passengers, cargo, etc., and to charge for the service.

verb (used with object), fer·ried, fer·ry·ing.

to carry or convey back and forth over a fixed route in a boat or plane.

to fly (an airplane) over a particular route, especially for delivery.

verb (used without object), fer·ried, fer·ry·ing.

to go in a ferry.

Origin of ferry

before 1150; Middle English ferien, Old English ferian to carry; cognate with Old Norse ferja, Gothic farjan; akin to fare

Related formsun·fer·ried, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for ferry

barge, ferryboat, tote, send, shuttle, lug, carry, ship, transport, chauffeur, packet, buck, run, bear, convey, pack, schlepp

Examples from the Web for ferry

Contemporary Examples of ferry

And earlier that day, the 43-year-old had earned the précis, breaking up a skirmish by the Staten Island Ferry.
Before Eric Garner, There Was Michael Stewart: The Tragic Story of the Real-Life Radio Raheem
Marlow Stern
December 4, 2014
There was no trouble on the ferry as it reached Manhattan and a few of the passengers boarded the subway to the protest uptown.
‘I Can’t Breathe!’ ‘I Can’t Breathe!’ A Moral Indictment of Cop Culture
Michael Daly
December 4, 2014
As a precaution against a possible disturbance, the ferry was escorted by a police boat, its blue lights flashing.
‘I Can’t Breathe!’ ‘I Can’t Breathe!’ A Moral Indictment of Cop Culture
Michael Daly
December 4, 2014
Marine One will ferry him to JFK Airport, where Air Force One awaits.
Behind the Scenes With a ‘Site Agent’: The Secret Service’s Hardest Job
Marc Ambinder
October 2, 2014
For a more scenic journey, travel by ferry from Whittier or Valdez.
America’s Best Summer Food Festivals
Lonely Planet
July 5, 2014

Historical Examples of ferry

Not until five o'clock had he by turns urged and fought himself to the ferry.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
He crossed the ferry and went to the hotel, where he shaved and freshened himself.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Then he told how he had met Mr Clennam at the ferry, and they had come over together.
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
Quinn was fearless, daring, indefatigable; but Quinn was not Ferry.
The Cavalier
George Washington Cable
Then Ferry called "Fours from the right, to march to the left--march!"
The Cavalier
George Washington Cable

British Dictionary definitions for ferry

ferry

noun plural -ries

Also called: ferryboat a vessel for transporting passengers and usually vehicles across a body of water, esp as a regular service

such a service
(in combination)a ferryman

a legal right to charge for transporting passengers by boat

the act or method of delivering aircraft by flying them to their destination

verb -ries, -rying or -ried

to transport or go by ferry

to deliver (an aircraft) by flying it to its destination

(tr) to convey (passengers, goods, etc)the guests were ferried to the church in taxis

Word Origin for ferry

Old English ferian to carry, bring; related to Old Norse ferja to transport, Gothic farjan; see fare

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

Word Origin and History for ferry

Old English ferian "to carry, convey, bring, transport," from Proto-Germanic *farjanan (cf. Old Frisian feria "carry, transport," Old Norse ferja "to pass over, to ferry," Gothic farjan "travel by boat"), from PIE *per- "going, passage." Related to fare (v.). Related: Ferried; ferries; ferrying.

early 15c., "a passage over a river," from Old Norse ferju- "passage across water," ultimately from the same Germanic root as ferry (v.). The modern noun (1580s) is a shortening of ferry boat (mid-15c.).