ship's boat
1
4.2
- noun
- Specialized
- The sailors used the ship's boat to transport supplies from the shore to the vessel.
Examples
-
"A wave rocked the ship's boat, knocking Pontifax off his feet."
Fiction book (1992) -
The ship's boat struggled along in the open water outside the sheltered harbor at Baldur's Gate.
Fiction book (1992) -
The crew of the ship's boat told him.
Fiction book (1992) -
"Turning to the boatswain, she ordered, "Gather the men who were on watch tonight and put them in the ship's boat."
Fiction book (1992) -
You snap to it and supervise the stowing of the ship's boat.
Fiction book (1992) -
As the ship's boat drew closer, Artus noticed the holes looked like missing teeth in a giant's smile.
Fiction book (1992) -
"That spell you cast in the ship's boat couldn't have worn off already," Artus said.
Fiction book (1992) -
Toward the bow, Nelock and a handful of crewmen secured the ship's boat.
Fiction book (1992) -
"You're looking a little anxious," taunted Nelock, the only officer aboard the ship's boat.
Fiction book (1992) -
He is such a savage sight that the six oarsmen in the approaching ship's boat take quick glances over their shoulders as they row closer.
Academic text (2002)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A small vehicle used on water to carry people, like a rowboat or motorboat
21
1.0
A boat that is small and used for short trips on lakes or rivers
17
4.8
A small open boat that people use for short trips, often to reach a larger boat
10
6.1
A small fast boat often with sails, used to carry people or messages
4
7.0
A large boat carried on a ship to move people or goods between ship and shore
3
6.6
A small boat that takes people or supplies to shore from a larger ship
1
9.9
A small boat kept on a ship to carry people or goods
1
9.9
A small boat used to carry people or supplies between a ship and shore
1
8.2
A small boat that a sailing ship keeps for the crew to move people or supplies
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
ship's + boat
The meaning 'a boat belonging to a ship' is directly and compositionally derived from 'ship' + possessive '-s' + 'boat'; a B1 learner who knows 'ship' and 'boat' can infer this easily. Possessive constructions naming ownership or part-whole relations are common cross-linguistically, so the expression is straightforward and transparent.
Etymology
Ship's boat is a literal name for the small boat that belongs to a ship and is lowered into the water to carry people or supplies to shore. That's why it means 'a small boat carried by a ship and used for transportation between the ship and the shore'.