pontoon

[ pon-toon ]

/ pɒnˈtun /

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See synonyms for pontoon on Thesaurus.com

noun

Military. a boat or some other floating structure used as one of the supports for a temporary bridge over a river.

a float for a derrick, landing stage, etc.

Nautical. a float for raising a sunken or deeply laden vessel in the water; a camel or caisson.

a seaplane float.

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Also pon·ton

[pon-tn]. /ˈpɒn tn/.

Origin of pontoon

1585–95; <French ponton<Latin pontōn- (stem of pontō) flat-bottomed boat, punt

Words nearby pontoon

pontlevis, Pontocaine, Pontoise, pontomedullary groove, pontonier, pontoon, pontoon bridge, Pontoppidan, Pontormo, Pontus, Pontus Euxinus

Other definitions for pontoon (2 of 2)

pontoon²

[ pon-toon ]

/ pɒnˈtun /

noun British.

the card game twenty-one.

Origin of pontoon

1915–20; alteration of French vingt-et-un twenty-one

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

How to use pontoon in a sentence

It rained shortly after dawn, leaving the skies an ominously gunmetal gray, but the pontoon boat tour was still a go.
On Virginia’s Chincoteague Island — all this and ponies, too|Nevin Martell|September 2, 2021|Washington Post
The lake is also popular for pontoon boats, water skiing and tubing.
A visitor’s guide to Deep Creek Lake, Smith Mountain Lake and Lake Anna|Amanda Loudin|June 3, 2021|Washington Post
Floating bridges elsewhere in the world tend to span separate pontoons that are spaced out like stepping stones, Rodda says.
Five bridges that show how technology is changing|Jon Allsop|April 28, 2021|MIT Technology Review
And, with limited money and time, I can't help it, visiting them, and tooling around on a pontoon boat or walking to an adorable ice cream shop, feels more restful and rejuvenating than driving with my mom to the failing Food Lion.
Carolyn Hax: The parents vs. the pontoon boat: A vacation conundrum|Carolyn Hax|April 15, 2021|Washington Post

Though it can stand on land, Prvok was specially designed to live on a pontoon.
This Tiny House Is 3D Printed, Floats, and Will Last Over 100 Years|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|June 30, 2020|Singularity Hub
You stand on an unsteady pontoon bridge spanning the Tigris River in a township called Adh Dhouloueya.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq|Nathan Bradley Bethea|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You guard the pontoon bridge with a squad of Iraqi Army soldiers and a single interpreter.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq|Nathan Bradley Bethea|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While we have not definitively located the video, in one video tanks can be seen crossing a pontoon bridge into Ukraine.
Russia’s Military Is Already in East Ukraine. Will There Be a Full-Scale Invasion?|James Miller|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He proceeded to use five pontoon bridges to get his troops across the Rappahannock River.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
Sometimes a girder is rolled out about one-third of its length, and then supported on a floating pontoon.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
In leaving the pontoon for the offing, the various craft increase in size as the water deepens.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.
As the real channel is approached, the bridge stops abruptly, and a series of pontoon-like barges takes the place of it.
The Cradle of Mankind|W.A. Wigram
On the 14th and 15th, by means of his pontoon bridges near Wilcox's Landing, Grant crossed to the south side of the river.
Reminiscences of the Guilford Grays, Co. B., 27th N.C. Regiment|John A. Sloan

British Dictionary definitions for pontoon (1 of 2)

pontoon¹

/ (pɒnˈtuːn) /

noun

a watertight float or vessel used where buoyancy is required in water, as in supporting a bridge, in salvage work, or where a temporary or mobile structure is required in military operations
(as modifier)a pontoon bridge

nautical a float, often inflatable, for raising a vessel in the water

Word Origin for pontoon

C17: from French ponton, from Latin pontō punt, floating bridge, from pōns bridge

British Dictionary definitions for pontoon (2 of 2)

pontoon²

/ (pɒnˈtuːn) /

noun

Also called: (esp US) twenty-one, vingt-et-un a gambling game in which players try to obtain card combinations worth 21 points

(in this game) the combination of an ace with a ten or court card when dealt to a player as his first two cards

Word Origin for pontoon

C20: probably an alteration of French vingt-et-un, literally: twenty-one

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

pontoon

Origin of pontoon

Words nearby pontoon

Other definitions for pontoon (2 of 2)

Origin of pontoon

Words related to pontoon

How to use pontoon in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pontoon (1 of 2)

Word Origin for pontoon

British Dictionary definitions for pontoon (2 of 2)

Word Origin for pontoon