Mackinaw boat

noun

1. a flat-bottomed boat with sharp prow and square stern, propelled by oars and sometimes sails, formerly widely used on the upper Great Lakes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mackinaw boat¹

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Example Sentences

Its breadth, at the mouth, is about sixty paces, and it is said to be navigable by Mackinaw boats for 100 miles.

From Project Gutenberg

From this point the passengers will proceed in Mackinaw boats to the falls of the Missouri.

From Project Gutenberg

He had a Mackinaw boat, very little, with a sail made brown by boiling it with tan bark, so that it would not wear out.

From Project Gutenberg

A heavily loaded Mackinaw boat had shot around the next bend.

From Project Gutenberg

It’s a good deal like a Mackinaw boat.

From Project Gutenberg