From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishboatboat /bəʊt $ boʊt/ ●●● S1 W2 noun [countable] 1 TTWa vehicle that travels across water a fishing boat The boat capsized (=turned over) in heavy seas. a boat trip around the islandsby boat Some of the beaches can only be reached by boat.on/in a boat MacKay said he would sleep on his boat. → lifeboat, motorboat, powerboat, speedboat, steamboat2 informalTTW a ship, especially one that carries passengers We’re taking the night boat to St. Malo.3 → be in the same boat (as somebody) → gravy boat, sauce boat, → burn your bridges/boats at burn1(18), → miss the boat at miss1(14), → push the boat out at push1(15), → rock the boat at rock2(3)COLLOCATIONSverbssail a boatThey’re sailing a boat down the coast of Portugal.row a boatAre you any good at rowing a boat?take a boat outWhy don’t we take the boat out on the river?steer a boatHe steered the boat carefully to the shore.launch a boat (=put it in the water)Where’s the best place to launch the boat?tie up/moor a boat (=tie it to something so that it stays in one place)You can tie up the boat to that tree.How much does it cost to moor a boat here?a boat rocks (=moves from side to side in the water)The little boat was rocking in the wind.a boat capsizes/overturns (=turns over in the water)Will stood up suddenly and the boat capsized.a boat overturns (=turns over in the water)a boat sinksThe boat sank in a storm.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + boata fishing boatThe fishing boats go out to sea early in the morning.a rowing boat British Englisha sailing boat British Englisha canal boat (also a narrow boat British English) (=for use on canals)We had a holiday on a canal boat in France.a pleasure boat (=a small boat that people use on a lake, river etc)boat + NOUNa boat tripYou can take a boat trip to the islands nearby.a boat raceThere’s a boat race on the river tomorrow. THESAURUStypes of boatyacht a large boat with a sail, used for pleasure or sportsailing boat British English, sailboat American English a boat that uses one or more sailsrowing boat British English, rowboat American English a small boat that you move through the water with oarsdinghy a small open boat used for pleasure, or for taking people between a ship and the shorecatamaran a sailing boat with two separate hulls (=the part that goes in the water)trimaran a sailing boat with three separate hullssbarge a large low boat with a flat bottom, used for carrying heavy goods on a canal or rivercanal boat (also narrow boat British English) a boat that you use on canalscanoe a long light boat that is open at the top and pointed at both ends, which you move along using a paddle. Canoes are for one to three peoplekayak a light boat for one or two people, that is pointed at both ends and covered on top. A kayak has round holes on top in which the people sit, and you move it along using a paddle.punt a long thin boat with a flat bottom that you move by pushing a long pole against the bottom of the river – used for pleasurehouseboat a boat that is specially made so that you can live on itpleasure boat a small boat, for example a sailing boat or a rowing boat, that people use on a lake, river etcPeople were out on the lake in pleasure boats. → ship1
Examples from the Corpus
boat• My first day at Tropicana was spent in a boat, on the beach, and in the bar.• a motor boat• There were no boats on the lake, no swimmers or fishermen.• Still, it was hard to keep her mind on the boat.• The boat swung around to its new heading.on/in a boat• Given that there are some 20,000 such fastenings in a boat of this size, this is no mean feat.• Marriage is like a journey in a boat.• Like some one leaving on a boat or train he smiled and waved.• Why is it important to vent the fuel tank before setting off on a boat dive? 3.• Out in a boat every man looks good.• I wonder if it really will involve performing better than I have ever performed in a boat before.• In the past, many governors who fell out with the Bermudians were put on a boat and sent back to London.Origin boat Old English bat 