pontoon

¹

[ pon-toon ]

noun

1. Military. a boat or some other floating structure used as one of the supports for a temporary bridge over a river.
2. a float for a derrick, landing stage, etc.
3. Nautical. a float for raising a sunken or deeply laden vessel in the water; a camel or caisson.
4. a seaplane float.

pontoon

²

[ pon-toon ]

noun

, British.

1. the card game twenty-one.

pontoon

¹

/ pɒnˈtuːn /

noun

1. Also calledesp UStwenty-onevingt-et-un a gambling game in which players try to obtain card combinations worth 21 points
2. (in this game) the combination of an ace with a ten or court card when dealt to a player as his first two cards

pontoon

²

/ pɒnˈtuːn /

noun

1. 1. a watertight float or vessel used where buoyancy is required in water, as in supporting a bridge, in salvage work, or where a temporary or mobile structure is required in military operations
   2. ( as modifier )

      a pontoon bridge

2. nautical a float, often inflatable, for raising a vessel in the water

Word History and Origins

Origin of pontoon¹

1585–95; < French ponton < Latin pontōn- (stem of pontō ) flat-bottomed boat, punt

Origin of pontoon²

1915–20; alteration of French vingt-et-un twenty-one

Word History and Origins

Origin of pontoon¹

C20: probably an alteration of French vingt-et-un, literally: twenty-one

Origin of pontoon²

C17: from French ponton, from Latin pontō punt, floating bridge, from pōns bridge

Example Sentences

It all began when 57-year-old Billy was sitting in his house and spotted the cub diving off the nearby pontoon.

From BBC

Meanwhile, he used the deposit money to bankroll expensive purchases, authorities say, including a yacht, a pontoon boat, two Mercedes-Benz automobiles, two Ford pickup trucks, a recreation vehicle, a tractor, three ATVs and fishing equipment.

From Los Angeles Times

But BBC Verify has identified new pontoon bridges - temporary, floating crossings, quickly constructed and used in the absence of permanent structures - over the river, apparently constructed by Russian forces.

From BBC

Jessica Lawson, 12, who attended Wolfreton School near Hull, had been swimming in a lake near Limoges in July 2015 when a pontoon overturned.

From BBC

The original hearing in October 2022 was told 24 children, aged 12 to 17, had been swimming in the lake when the pontoon overturned.

From BBC