boat

UK: bəʊt | US: boʊt

Definition

  1. n. a small vessel for traveling on water

  2. n. a dish shaped like a boat, used for serving sauces or gravy

Structure
boat <water vessel>
Etymology

The word "boat" traces back to Old English bāt, meaning "a small ship or vessel." It shares roots with Old Norse bátr and Dutch boot, all derived from Proto-Germanic bait-. Unlike compound words, "boat" is a compact Germanic term with no separable morphemes in modern English. Its simplicity reflects its ancient role in daily life, unchanged in form for over a millennium.

Examples

  1. They rowed the boat across the lake at dawn.

  2. The fisherman repaired his wooden boat before the storm.

  3. Serve the gravy in a small boat to keep it warm.

  4. We rented a boat to explore the coastal caves.

  5. The children pretended a cardboard box was a pirate boat.