regatta
Americannoun
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a boat race, as of rowboats, yachts, or other vessels.
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an organized series of such races.
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(originally) a gondola race in Venice.
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a strong, striped cotton fabric that is of twill weave.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of regatta
1645–55; < Upper Italian ( Venetian ) regatta, regata, perhaps ≪ Vulgar Latin *recaptāre to contend, equivalent to *re- re- + *captāre to try to seize; see catch
Explanation
A regatta is an organized series of boat races. In a regatta, yachts or sailboats usually participate, but some regattas focus on rowboats or powerboats. In the 1650s, regatta related to a boat race among gondoliers, held on the Grand Canal in Venice. The Italian word regatta means "contention for mastery" and comes from the Latin word regattare, or "to compete, haggle, sell at retail." Regatta came to specifically mean "boat race" — and the many social events related to it — in the late 1700s.
Vocabulary lists containing regatta
2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 2
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The Boys in the Boat
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The Liars Society
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
If you’re there for the regatta, look out for an appearance from the parish priest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Lost Bay is a one day, single race regatta for mono-hull sailboats of at least twenty feet with both spinnaker and non-spinnaker divisions.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2024
The space of about half an hour could play a huge role in deciding if this Olympic regatta is a GB return to form.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2024
So did all the parents watching their sons compete for the Oakland Strokes under-17 rowing team during a regatta at the Sacramento River Deep Water Ship Channel last month.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2024
The JV clamored to be named the varsity boat for the regatta.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Ships float off the coast throughout the year, but autumn ushers in one of the biggest sailing regattas on the Mediterranean.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
I really enjoyed your film because I have been connected to the rowing community here in Philadelphia and I worked on a book, “Boathouse Row,” and attended regattas.
From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2023
Dragon boat regattas take place around the world and many have a category for breast cancer teams.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2023
A new team this season, Canada reached the podium in the season’s first two regattas and is currently sixth overall, nine points out of overall podium position.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 16, 2023
Rowing and sailing regattas had been held there since the 1870s.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
