wherry

American  

[hwer-ee, wer-ee] / ˈʰwɛr i, ˈwɛr i /

noun

• wherries
  plural

1. a light rowboat for one person; skiff.

2. any of various barges, fishing vessels, etc., used locally in England.

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verb (used with or without object)

wherried, wherrying

1. to use, or transport in, a wherry.

wherry British  

/ ˈwɛrɪ /

noun

1. any of certain kinds of half-decked commercial boats, such as barges, used in Britain

2. a light rowing boat used in inland waters and harbours

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wherryman
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• wherries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of wherry

1400–50; late Middle English whery < ?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wherry wherries wherrying

The Canaries’ next play Brighton and Watford and improved performances and results will be needed if this Norfolk project isn’t to take on the appearance of a wherry holed beneath the waterline.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 28, 2019

Heaving a deep sigh, Catesby watched the wherry sweep on towards the Tower,—its fatal destination,—until it was lost to view.

From Guy Fawkes or The Gunpowder Treason by Ainsworth, William Harrison

The wherry swung in the tide, a useless bit of lumber, for no one dreamed of using it, of unknotting its rusty chain.

From The Maid of Honour (Vol. 3 of 3) A Tale of the Dark Days of France by Wingfield, Lewis

At the end of the summer term in his last year Elmore was invited by a schoolboy friend named Austin to spend part of the holidays with him in a wherry on the Broads.

From A Master of Deception by Marsh, Richard

In a few moments the wherry approached them.

From Guy Fawkes or The Gunpowder Treason by Ainsworth, William Harrison

Before lorries became the preferred mode of transportation, wherries - large sailing boats used in the Broads - would have transported goods to and from the factory.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Through black smoke and swirling green fire, Davos glimpsed a swarm of small, boats bearing downriver: a confusion of ferries and wherries, barges, skiffs, rowboats, and hulks that looked too rotten to float.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

She was much about the burthen of one of our London wherries below Bridge, and built sharp at both ends, like the forepart of a wherry.

From In the Andamans and Nicobars The Narrative of a Cruise in the Schooner "Terrapin" by Kloss, C. Boden

Fifty barges, filled with the various companies, followed, marshalled and kept in order by three light wherries with officers.

From Old and New London Volume I by Thornbury, Walter

However, all in good time, we did get a boat, and went off, in the midst of dingies, cargo-boats, gigs, and wherries, all as full as they could hold.

From Memoirs of Service Afloat, During the War Between the States by Semmes, Raphael

"My darling child," said she, hugging and kissing her just as tenderly as if she had never been "wherrying."

From Dotty Dimple At Home by May, Sophie