outboard

American  

[aut-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈaʊtˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

adjective

1. located on the exterior of a hull or aircraft.

2. located farther from the center, as of an aircraft.

   the outboard end of a wing.

3. (of a motorboat) having an outboard motor.

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adverb

1. outside or away from the center of a hull, aircraft, machine, etc..

   The sail swung outboard.

noun

1. an outboard motor.

2. a boat equipped with an outboard motor.

outboard British  

/ ˈaʊtˌbɔːd /

adjective

1. (of a boat's engine) portable, with its own propeller, and designed to be attached externally to the stern Compare inboard

2. in a position away from, or further away from, the centre line of a vessel or aircraft, esp outside the hull or fuselage

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adverb

1. away from the centre line of a vessel or aircraft, esp outside the hull or fuselage

noun

1. an outboard motor

2. a boat fitted with an outboard motor

Etymology

Origin of outboard

First recorded in 1815–25; out- + board

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

outboard

The dinghy, which had 31 children on board with the youngest aged 14, had two outboard engines but one was not working, the court heard.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

The upside was that they could generate more power than an outboard.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

So when engine-maker Mercury Marine showed him an outboard motor that generates more horsepower than a Ferrari Portofino, he wanted four.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

The yachtsmen pulled over to ask two loggers for help, and one of the loggers noticed an improperly secured outboard motor in the back seat of the rental car.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025

They let him use a twenty-four-foot outboard with a T-top and twin 150s—not for fishing but for towing in tourists who ran out of gas or rammed their boats aground.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

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