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towboat

[ toh-boht ]

noun

  1. a diesel-powered or steam-powered boat used especially on inland waterways to push groups of barges lashed to it in front or on one side or both.


towboat

/ ˈtəʊˌbəʊt /

noun

  1. another word for tug
“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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of towboat1

First recorded in 1805–15; tow 1 + boat
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Example Sentences

A towboat struck a rail bridge on a foggy September morning and threw the train tracks out of alignment.

A Florida towboat business owner got a shock when he saw a black bear hanging out on a catamaran in the harbor of Naples, Florida earlier this week.

Lynn Muench, a senior vice president for the American Waterways Operators, which advocates for the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, said barge capacity is being voluntarily reduced on parts of the Mississippi River.

He has always been drawn to the Mississippi; his father took him camping along the banks when he was a boy, and later, he worked on towboats and as a kayak guide.

For its part, the industry has limited the amount of cargo attached to any single towboat — only up to 25 barges, instead of the typical 40, Calhoun said.

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