motorboat

American  

[moh-ter-boht] / ˈmoʊ tərˌboʊt /

noun

1. a boat propelled by an inboard or outboard motor.

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verb (used without object)

1. to travel in or operate a motorboat.

   to motorboat from Hyannis to Martha's Vineyard.

motorboat British  

/ ˈməʊtəˌbəʊt /

noun

1. any boat powered by a motor

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Other Word Forms

• motorboater noun

Etymology

Origin of motorboat

First recorded in 1900–05; motor + boat

Example Sentences

Adrienne Vaughan, 45, the head of the US branch of Bloomsbury publishing house, died after she was flung from the motorboat in the holiday hotspot in southern Italy in August 2023.

From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025

This summer, Carle has continued his research at night, setting out in a motorboat on Mono Lake to catch phalaropes.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2025

"Its scientific, ecological, cultural importance, whether you are an artist, a poet, wild swimmer, motorboat owner, it's just intertwined in the whole kind of social and ecological fabric of the Lake District," he added.

From BBC • Aug. 19, 2025

All that cargo, plus the residents—many of them elderly, ailing, or pregnant—had to be lifted from a motorboat to the deck of the Warrior.

From Slate • Jul. 22, 2025

The only sounds are the occasional motorboat cutting across the water, screen doors snapping shut.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri