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

Vaughan had been on the boat with her husband and two children, aged 12 and eight, and had been sunbathing when the motorboat crashed into a sailboat carrying party-goers.

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

In essence, it was a big raft, with tall, reinforced sides on 60 empty steel drums for buoyancy, towed by motorboat.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2025

The Magura V5, named after a Slavic goddess of war, looks like a small motorboat with a flat surface instead of passenger seats.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2024

He picked up Alvin and Beulah, cradling them one by one into the motorboat.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers