catamaran

American  

[kat-uh-muh-ran, kat-uh-muh-ran] / ˌkæt ə məˈræn, ˈkæt ə məˌræn /

noun

1. a vessel, usually propelled by sail, formed of two hulls or floats held side by side by a frame above them.

2. a float or sailing raft formed of a number of logs lashed together, used in certain parts of India, South America, etc.

3. Canadian Dialect. a wooden sled.

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catamaran British  

/ ˌkætəməˈræn /

noun

1. a sailing, or sometimes motored, vessel with twin hulls held parallel by a rigid framework

2. a primitive raft made of logs lashed together

3. old-fashioned a quarrelsome woman

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Etymology

Origin of catamaran

First recorded in 1670–80; from Tamil kaṭṭa-maram “tied wood”

Example Sentences

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

Four other vessels - MV Hebrides, MV Loch Frisa, MV Isle of Lewis and the chartered catamaran MV Alfred - are all away for scheduled maintenance or repairs.

From BBC

He once dredged up 17 rings in a single day by sweeping the ocean bottom in a spot where tourists, well into their tequila sunrises, routinely launch themselves off catamarans, their fingers slick with sunscreen.

From The Wall Street Journal

From an outdoor terrace in a lakeside Alpine village, we watched catamarans and windsurfers lean into the wind and fly across the water below.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Related Words

• raft
• sailboat