boat hook

3.9

A long pole with a hook used to push, pull, or catch things near boats

noun
/boʊt hʊk/

: garfio de barco

Fletcher Bancroft and another trapper tugged on the boat hook.

Examples

"I think there's more water over there." Dick did not acknowledge Hilary's advice but hollered at Connie to stop messing with the boat hook and get on the other side of the boat.

Fiction book (1990)
A boat hook keeps the target in place against the changing tide.

Drain the Bermuda Triangle (2014)
(Jake ) Get me the boat hook.

Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
Grab the boat hook.

Jaws (1975)
Using the boat hook, he pulled the floating debris closer to the shore.
She reached out with the boat hook to catch the loose end of the rope.
To keep the boat steady, he pushed against the dock with the long boat hook.

Synonyms

hook

vsboat hook

192 1.0

A curved piece used to catch or hang things

is the pole form designed for reaching and handling small vessels and floats

boathook

vsboat hook

Specialized

5.8

A long pole with a hook used to push, pull, or steady a boat

also serves to catch floating objects in the water

barge pole

vsboat hook

7.5

A long pole used to push and guide a boat like a barge on a canal

focuses on propulsion and guiding rather than catching floating items

Surface Forms

boat hook singular

boat hooks plural

Morphology

boat + hook

The meaning of 'boat hook' is directly compositional: it denotes a hook used with boats, typically a long pole with a hook for pushing, pulling, or catching. A B1 learner who knows 'boat' and 'hook' can readily infer this instrument from the constituents because the compound follows ordinary English noun+noun composition and parallels exist in many other languages.

Etymology

Boat hook is named for a simple tool: a long pole with a hook at one end used to reach, pull, or push a boat or things in the water. So, the name means 'a long pole used to catch or move boats'.