steamboat

[ steem-boht ]

noun

1. a steam-driven vessel, especially a small one or one used on inland waters.

steamboat

/ ˈstiːmˌbəʊt /

noun

1. a boat powered by a steam engine

Word History and Origins

Origin of steamboat¹

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85; steam + boat

Example Sentences

The charge is a pre-Civil War statute colloquially known as seaman’s manslaughter that was designed to hold steamboat captains and crew responsible for maritime disasters.

From Seattle Times

The classic cartoon stars the beloved mascot as the whistling, rascally pilot of a steamboat floating down a river.

From Los Angeles Times

A grand jury in 2020 initially indicted Boylan on 34 counts of a pre-Civil War statute colloquially known as “seaman’s manslaughter” that was designed to hold steamboat captains and crew responsible for maritime disasters.

From Seattle Times

The famous Delta Queen steamboat that now plies the Mississippi was built in Stockton to move passengers and freight in California.

From Los Angeles Times

The body was transferred from the wagon to a rowboat, then to a steamboat, which would then take them north to Washington.

From Literature

Related Words

• barge
• canoe
• catamaran
• craft
• dinghy
• gondola
• raft
• sailboat
• schooner
• ship
• yacht