floating dock

American

noun

a submersible, floating structure used as a dry dock, having a floor that is submerged, slipped under a floating vessel, and then raised so as to raise the vessel entirely out of the water.

floating dock British

noun

Also called: floating dry dock. a large boxlike structure that can be submerged to allow a vessel to enter it and then floated to raise the vessel out of the water for maintenance or repair

"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

Etymology

Origin of floating dock

First recorded in 1865–70

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.

See Examples For:

floating dock

Other luxe amenities include a floating dock and boat ramp, two outdoor pools, and a helipad.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 9, 2025

Its high-margin ship-repair segment offers steady earnings, underpinned by structural tailwinds from an ageing global fleet and upcoming third floating dock.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025

In a statement Tuesday, harbor officials said the incident illuminated “a new vulnerability in floating dock design: a previously underrecognized hydrodynamic failure mechanism.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2025

Separately, the US is planning to build its own floating dock off the coast to boost sea deliveries.

From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2024

He sank into the waves and swam under the floating dock.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023