guard boat
1
5.2
- noun
- Specialized
- A Coast Guard boat is patrolling the harbor to ensure the safety of the fleet.
- coast guard boat
Examples
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During the training exercise, the guard boat was responsible for protecting the naval vessels from potential threats.
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I think it was a Coast Guard boat, and I think I was in a uniform.
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A couple of years ago, the San Diego Christmas 'Parade of Lights' boat parade was diminished by a Coast Guard boat crashing into a docked boat and killing a little boy who was aboard.
Blog text (12) -
The guard boat was stationed near the warships to monitor any suspicious activity in the area.
Synonyms
7
6.6
A small armed boat that moves in shallow water near coasts and rivers
7
3.5
A small boat that watches for danger and protects a coast or harbor
4
3.7
A ship used by the navy or coast guard to watch and protect the sea
3
3.0
Police officers use a boat to patrol harbors and keep people safe on the water
3
5.0
A small armed boat used near coasts or rivers to patrol and fight
1
7.9
A navy ship kept ready to respond quickly to emergencies
A small boat that patrols and watches for danger near a harbor or fleet
A ship that watches for enemy ships or planes and warns other ships
Antonyms
How Armed
- Specialized
62
7.3
- Specialized
5
8.2
- Specialized
1
5.2
- Specialized
7
3.5
175
4.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a boat assigned to patrol and protect a harbor or fleet' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'guard' (one who protects) with 'boat' (a small craft). This noun‑noun composition is a common, compositional pattern (cf. 'patrol boat', 'guard ship') and is easily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
The name guard boat, from guard and boat, comes from the image of a small boat circling larger ships and watching them like a guard dog, so it means 'to watch and protect' a harbor or group of ships.