Steamboat Gothic

or steamboat gothic

noun

1. a florid architectural style suggesting the gingerbread-decorated construction of river boats of the Victorian period.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Steamboat Gothic¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

For sale: “Exceptional Steamboat Gothic” historic home, built in 1902 in Mobile, Alabama.

From Washington Times

The Steamboat Gothic house stands at the end of a quiet road, stained-glass red crosses glowing from an upper-story window.

From Washington Post

Originally the Queen was intended to be a much closer copy of her predecessors but, as one river regular explained, "steel and asbestos don't lend themselves to curlicues and steamboat gothic."

From Time Magazine Archive

They chase each other around the room in dreamy images of Steamboat Gothic.

From Time Magazine Archive

The latest Keyes novel, Steamboat Gothic, will not let anyone down.

From Time Magazine Archive