# boat

/ˈboʊt/ (US) · /bˈəʊt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/boat
Updated: 2026-05-01

## Senses

### 1. watercraft

noun · CEFR A1

a vehicle used for traveling on water, like a ship or a small rowing boat.

For teachers: a vessel for transport by water, typically smaller than a ship but used broadly for various watercraft.

- We took a small boat out onto the lake to go fishing.
- The fishing boat struggled against the rising swell as the crew raced to secure the nets before the storm broke.

### 2. serving dish

noun · CEFR B2

a small dish used for serving liquids like sauce or gravy.

For teachers: a container or utensil resembling a boat in shape, specifically used for serving sauces.

- Please pass the gravy boat so I can pour some over my potatoes.
- The waiter carefully placed a silver sauce boat on the table, filled with a rich reduction to accompany the roast.

### 3. large car

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a very large, heavy, and often old car that is difficult to drive.

For teachers: a large, heavy vehicle, often implying it is cumbersome or inefficient to handle.

- My grandfather still drives that old boat of a car from the seventies.
- Navigating the narrow city streets in such a massive boat of a sedan proved nearly impossible for the novice driver.

### 4. astronomy

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Informal

a name for the brightest flash of light ever seen in space.

For teachers: an acronym for 'Brightest Of All Time', referring to the exceptionally luminous gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A.

- Astronomers were amazed by the BOAT, the brightest explosion ever recorded.
- The detection of the BOAT challenged existing models of stellar collapse due to its unprecedented energetic output across the electromagnetic spectrum.

### 5. to travel by water

verb · CEFR B1

to travel or go somewhere using a boat.

For teachers: to travel by boat; may also function transitively to mean the transport of goods via watercraft.

- We decided to boat across the river instead of taking the bridge.
- They spent the summer boating along the coast, stopping at various small islands to explore the local wildlife.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.