Definitions
01a transport ship
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. a large boat that carries people, cars, and goods across a river or a small piece of sea.
n. a vessel specifically designed for the regular conveyance of passengers and vehicles across a body of water.
日本語:フェリー※
“We took the ferry from the mainland to the island for our summer holiday.”
“The cross-channel ferry operates on a strict hourly schedule, accommodating hundreds of commuters and heavy freight vehicles daily.”
02a transport service
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. the business or service that provides transport across water.
n. the commercial service or legal franchise involved in operating waterborne transport.
“The local ferry was cancelled today because of the stormy weather.”
“The city council is reviewing the contract for the river ferry to ensure the service remains affordable for residents.”
03to transport
B1 · Intermediate
v. to carry people or things from one place to another, often making several trips.
v. to transport people or goods, typically over a short distance and often repeatedly. Transitive in most modern contexts.
“The bus will ferry guests from the hotel to the wedding venue all afternoon.”
“During the music festival, a fleet of small boats was hired to ferry attendees across the lake to the main stage area.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “ferry” in context.
Etymology
From Middle English ferien (“to carry, convey, convey in a boat”), from Old English ferian (“to carry, convey, bear, bring, lead, conduct, betake oneself to, be versed in, depart, go”), from Proto-West Germanic farjan, from Proto-Germanic farjaną (“to make or let go, transfer, ferry”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to bring or carry over, transfer, pass through”). Cognate with Dutch veren (“to ferry”), German dialectal feren, fähren (“to row, sail”), Danish færge (“to ferry”), Faroese, Icelandic ferja (“to ferry”), Norwegian Bokmål ferge, ferje (“ferry”), Norwegian Nynorsk ferja, ferje, ferju (“to ferry”), Swedish färja (“to ferry”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 (farjan, “to sail, row”). Related to fare.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/ferry
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0