boat

 
Pronunciation: /bəʊt/

noun

  • a small vessel for travelling over water, propelled by oars, sails, or an engine: a fishing boat [as modifier]: a boat trip
  • a vessel of any size, especially a large one: those newly arriving here by boat or plane
  • 1a gravy boat or sauce boat.

verb

[no object]
  • travel in a boat for pleasure: they boated through fjords
  • [with object and adverbial of direction] transport (someone or something) in a boat: they boated the timber down the lake
  • [with object] (of an angler) draw (a hooked fish) into a boat: he boated a 2 lb 14oz Dover sole

Phrases

be in the same boat

informal be in the same difficult circumstances as others: do not despair: you are one of millions in the same boat

off the boat

informal, often offensive recently arrived from a foreign country, and by implication naive or an outsider: what are you, fresh off the boat?

push the boat out

British informal be lavish in one’s spending or celebrations: from fine wines to the delights of the theatre, this is your chance to push the boat out

rock the boat

informal say or do something to disturb an existing situation and upset people: I don’t want to rock the boat

Derivatives

boatful

noun (plural boatfuls)

Origin:

Old English bāt, of Germanic origin