outrigger

[ out-rig-er ]

/ ˈaʊtˌrɪg ər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for outrigger on Thesaurus.com

noun

a framework extended outboard from the side of a boat, especially, as in South Pacific canoes, supporting a float that gives stability.

a bracket extending outward from the side of a racing shell, to support an oarlock.

the shell itself.

a spar rigged out from a ship's rail or the like, as for extending a sail.

a long, flexible rod, attached to a fishing boat near the stern, along which a fishing line may be threaded to keep it clear of the boat's wake when trolling.

a structure extending outward from a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft to increase stability or provide support for something.

a projecting beam, as for supporting a hoisting tackle.

a horizontal steel beam extending the base of a crane.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of outrigger

First recorded in 1740–50; out- + rig + -er¹

Words nearby outrigger

outreach, out-relief, Outremont, outride, outrider, outrigger, outright, outring, outro, outrow, outrun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use outrigger in a sentence

The frame incorporates plastic wings that extend beyond the sides of the lens like outriggers to help distribute pressure from the strap, thus creating a uniform fit.
The Best Ski and Snowboard Goggles of 2022|jversteegh|October 26, 2021|Outside Online
Only one boat was moving, a long canoe with an outrigger; and from this something white was slowly waving.
Cursed|George Allan England
For a moment the canoe rocked in spite of its steadying outrigger, with the violence of the activities aboard it.
Cursed|George Allan England
The outrigger acts as a weight on the windward side, to prevent the narrow canoe from being blown over on the opposite side.
The Evolution of Culture|Augustus Henry Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers

This I consider to be a more natural sequence than to suppose the outrigger invented as a means of steadying the dug-out canoe.
The Evolution of Culture|Augustus Henry Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers
Wilkes says that whenever the outrigger gets to the leeward side, there is almost invariably an upset.
The Evolution of Culture|Augustus Henry Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers

British Dictionary definitions for outrigger

outrigger

/ (ˈaʊtˌrɪɡə) /

noun

a framework for supporting a pontoon outside and parallel to the hull of a boat to provide stability

a boat equipped with such a framework, esp one of the canoes of the South Pacific

any projecting framework attached to a boat, aircraft, building, etc, to act as a support

rowing another name for rigger (def. 2)

Word Origin for outrigger

C18: from out- + rig 1 + -er 1; perhaps influenced by archaic outligger outlier

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

outrigger

Origin of outrigger

Words nearby outrigger

Words related to outrigger

How to use outrigger in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for outrigger

Word Origin for outrigger