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whaleboat

American

[hweyl-boht, weyl-] / ˈʰweɪlˌboʊt, ˈweɪl- /

noun

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

whaleboat British

/ ˈweɪlˌbəʊt /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of whaleboat

First recorded in 1665–75; whale ¹ + boat

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.

After each stop, the whaleboat would leave a little heavier, he recalled.

From Barron's • Oct. 13, 2025

The 29-foot whaleboat took the students 20 months to build.

From New York Times • Jul. 22, 2013

In 1815, Captain James Kelly and his crew set off from Hobart to row a whaleboat around Tasmania.

From The Guardian • Jun. 11, 2013

A November 1880 issue of New Bedford’s Shipping News tells of Wood, at the bow of a whaleboat floating over an angry whale, losing his balance and tumbling headfirst into the mouth.

From Salon • Jun. 12, 2012

After a half an hour, we were approached by a whaleboat, also marked with a lantern upon her, and the two drifted without words until they were joined in comfortable parallel.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023