whaleboat

[hweyl-boht, weyl-]

noun

a long, narrow boat designed for quick turning and use in rough seas: formerly used in whaling, now mainly for sea rescue.

Origin of whaleboat

First recorded in 1665–75; whale¹ + boat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for whaleboat

Historical Examples of whaleboat

The whaleboat drew swiftly toward him as though to go beneath the bark on her way to the pass.
Wild Justice: Stories of the South Seas
Lloyd Osbourne
The whaleboat returned to the ship when the watch on deck had just been piped to supper.
A Gunner Aboard the "Yankee"
Russell Doubleday
In a week the whaleboat was put together, and a small skiff also built.
The Explorers of Australia and their Life-work
Ernest Favenc
There was a line fast to the harpoon, which was coiled in a tub standing in the whaleboat.
Stories of American Life and Adventure
Edward Eggleston
Got the whaleboat and crew ready to start at daylight for Shelburne Bay.
Voyage Of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Vol. 2 (of 2)
John MacGillivray

British Dictionary definitions for whaleboat

whaleboat

noun

a narrow boat from 20 to 30 feet long having a sharp prow and stern, formerly used in whalingAlso called: whaler

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