umiak

American  

[oo-mee-ak] / ˈu miˌæk /

Or oomiak

noun

1. an Inuit or Yupik open boat that consists of a wooden frame covered with skins and provided with several thwarts: used for transport of goods and passengers.

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umiak British  

/ ˈuːmɪˌæk /

noun

1. a large open boat made of stretched skins, used by Inuit Compare kayak

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Etymology

Origin of umiak

First recorded in 1760–70, umiak is from the Inuit word umiaq “women's boat”

Example Sentences

To see if the trend extended beyond my own circle, I called Steve Brownlee, the owner of Umiak Outdoor Outfitters, a Stowe, Vt., shop that caters to paddlers.

From Washington Post

With the navigational support of Alaska Natives from Little Diomede Island in umiak boats, along with my crew and the media, I swam on, determined to succeed.

From Washington Post

"Do you know what an Umiak is?"

From BBC

Oomittuk joined the tribal council, and worked as a harpooner in his uncle’s umiak skin boat.

From The New Yorker

At this point the sole artifact in this area is a walrus-skin Iñupiaq umiak, a 34-foot boat whose frame was built around 1920 by Jonathan Onalik in Wales.

From Washington Times