catamaran
Americannoun
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a vessel, usually propelled by sail, formed of two hulls or floats held side by side by a frame above them.
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a float or sailing raft formed of a number of logs lashed together, used in certain parts of India, South America, etc.
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Canadian Dialect. a wooden sled.
noun
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a sailing, or sometimes motored, vessel with twin hulls held parallel by a rigid framework
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a primitive raft made of logs lashed together
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old-fashioned a quarrelsome woman
Etymology
Origin of catamaran
First recorded in 1670–80; from Tamil kaṭṭa-maram “tied wood”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Five out of CalMac's 11 major vessels remain out of action along with the chartered catamaran Alfred and two smaller ferries, either due to faults or scheduled maintenance.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
Services from Troon, about 15 miles further south on the Ayrshire coast, will be provided by the new ferry MV Glen Sannox and the chartered catamaran Alfred.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2025
A new Disney cruise ship has rescued four people from a sinking catamaran more than 200 miles from Bermuda.
From BBC • Nov. 11, 2024
Marine scientist Sharon Gray lives on a catamaran off the Florida west coast.
From Salon • May 24, 2024
A big Chevy Sub-urban and a white Cadillac are parked out front, a painstakingly restored ’69 Corvette sits in the garage, a thirty-foot cruising catamaran is moored at the dock.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
