boat

[ boht ]

/ boʊt /

noun

a vessel for transport by water, constructed to provide buoyancy by excluding water and shaped to give stability and permit propulsion.

a small ship, generally for specialized use: a fishing boat.

a small vessel carried for use by a large one, as a lifeboat: They lowered the boats for evacuation.

a ship.

a vessel of any size built for navigation on a river or other inland body of water.

a serving dish resembling a boat: a gravy boat; a celery boat.

Ecclesiastical. a container for holding incense before it is placed in the censer.

verb (used without object)

to go in a boat: We boated down the Thames.

verb (used with object)

to transport in a boat: They boated us across the bay.

to remove (an oar) from the water and place athwartships.Compare ship¹(def 10).

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!

Question 1 of 10

Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.

Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

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Idioms for boat

in the same boat, in the same circumstances; faced with the same problems: The new recruits were all in the same boat.

miss the boat, Informal.

to fail to take advantage of an opportunity: He missed the boat when he applied too late to get into college.
to miss the point of; fail to understand: I missed the boat on that explanation.

rock the boat. rock²(def 17).

Origin of boat

before 900; Middle English boot (noun), Old English bāt; cognate with Old Norse beit

OTHER WORDS FROM boat

boat·a·ble, adjectiveboat·less, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH boat

barge boat canoe cruise ship sailboat ship yacht

Words nearby boat

boart, boas, boast, boaster, boastful, boat, boat bug, boat deck, boat drill, boat hook, boat nail

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for in the same boat

boat

/ (bəʊt) /

noun

a small vessel propelled by oars, paddle, sails, or motor for travelling, transporting goods, etc, esp one that can be carried aboard a larger vessel

(not in technical use) another word for ship

navy a submarine

a container for gravy, sauce, etc

a small boat-shaped container for incense, used in some Christian churches

in the same boat sharing the same problems

burn one's boats See burn 1 (def. 19)

miss the boat to lose an opportunity

push the boat out British informal to celebrate, esp lavishly and expensively

rock the boat informal to cause a disturbance in the existing situation

verb

(intr) to travel or go in a boat, esp as a form of recreation

(tr) to transport or carry in a boat

Word Origin for boat

Old English bāt; related to Old Norse beit boat

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

Idioms and Phrases with in the same boat (1 of 2)

in the same boat

Also, all in the same boat. In a similar situation, in the same position. For example, Everyone's got too much work—we're all in the same boat. This expression alludes to the risks shared by passengers in a small boat at sea. [Mid-1800s]

Idioms and Phrases with in the same boat (2 of 2)

boat

see burn one's bridges (boats); in the same boat; miss the boat; rock the boat.