boathouse

American  

[boht-hous] / ˈboʊtˌhaʊs /

noun

• boathouses
  plural

1. a building or shed, usually built partly over water, for sheltering a boat or boats.

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boathouse British  

/ ˈbəʊtˌhaʊs /

noun

1. a shelter by the edge of a river, lake, etc, for housing boats

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• boathouses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of boathouse

First recorded in 1715–25; boat + house

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boathouse boathouses

There’s an upstairs restaurant, spa services, a pool and boathouse bar, along with a dock and private beach at the end of the short trail that feels like a secret path.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

In 2010, they reportedly spent $28 million to extensively renovate the estate, which boasts 310 feet of private shoreline and a private boathouse.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

The 103-acre island comes with approved plans and permission to build a lodge and boathouse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

It was those watchmen who came to the boathouse to report that they’d spotted a man in a waterproof jacket drag the Zodiac up the embankment.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025

As Joe and his crewmates paddled the City of Seattle from their boathouse out onto the river, they got their first good look at the spectacle of a Poughkeepsie Regatta.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

And I have a special touristic affection for Boathouse Row, the collection of 19th century boathouses along the Schuylkill River just west of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

This 105-acre property, Camp Topridge, features, according to ProPublica, “an artificial waterfall and a great hall” for dining, and “more than 25 fireplaces, three boathouses, clay tennis court, and batting cage.”

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2023

Outlining a cluster of historic boathouses along the Schuylkill River near the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the twinkly lights reflect off the water and give definition to the unique architecture of each building.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 18, 2023

In 79 C.E., in a desperate attempt to escape the impact of the Mount Vesuvius eruption, the people of Herculaneum huddled in boathouses along the town’s waterfront, situated on the west coast of central Italy.

From Science Magazine ● Aug. 25, 2021

Meanwhile masons and carpenters were at work building a large and stately new boathouse, Haus West, just east of the permanent grandstands, supplementing two large existing boathouses, Haus Mitte and Haus Ost.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown