boat / bōt/ • n. 1. a small vessel propelled on water by oars, sails, or an engine: a fishing boat [as adj.] a boat trip. ∎  (in general use) a ship of any size.2. a serving dish in the shape of a boat: a gravy boat.• v. [intr.] travel or go in a boat for pleasure: they boated through fjords [as n.] (boating) she likes to go boating. ∎  [tr.] to bring a caught fish into a boat.PHRASES: be in the same boat inf. be in the same unfortunate circumstances as others.rock the boat inf. say or do something to disturb an existing situation.DERIVATIVES: boat·ful n.

boat a boat is the emblem of St Simon, St Jude, and the 7th-century French abbot St Bertin, whose monastery of Sithiu (Saint-Bertin) in northern France was originally accessible only by water.
in the same boat in the same difficult circumstances as others.
push the boat out be extravagant (originally with the idea of paying for a round of drinks in celebration).
rock the boat disturb an existing situation.

See also bridge of boats, burn one's boats, a rising tide lifts all boats.

boat Vehicle for passenger and freight transport by water. Today, it usually refers to a craft that can be removed from the water – a larger vessel is called a ship. The first boats, made in prehistoric times, included rafts, hollowed-out logs and vessels made from plaited reeds. Among the first maritime peoples were the Phoenicians. They built fleets of galleys, propelled by sails and oars, for their extensive trading in the Mediterranean and adjoining areas. The later Viking long-boats, also square-sailed, were slimmer and speedier. Lateen (triangular) sails were probably imported from the Persian Gulf and introduced to the West by the empire-building Arabs. Modern boats include sailing vessels, used mainly for pleasure, motorboats, and launches.

boat OE. bāt, corr. to ON. beit (:- *bait-, of uncert. orig.).
Hence boatswain (now commonly bosun); late OE. bātsweġen.

BOAT (bəʊt) byroad open to all traffic