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Glite Dictionary
mosquito boat

mosquito boat

8.1
A small, fast war boat used for quick attacks and patrols
  • noun
  • /məˈskiːtoʊ boʊt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : barco mosquito
  • During World War II, the navy relied on mosquito boats for high-speed coastal attacks.

Examples

  • The harbor base kept several mosquito boats ready for night patrols.

  • A mosquito boat could outmaneuver larger ships thanks to its size and agility.

  • The mosquito boat sped across the water.

  • Several mosquito boats were deployed for the mission.

  • During World War II, the navy relied on mosquito boats for high-speed coastal attacks.

  • The harbor base kept several mosquito boats ready for night patrols.

  • A mosquito boat could outmaneuver larger ships thanks to its size and agility.

Synonyms

PT boat
vsmosquito boat
  • Archaic
2 8.1

A small fast US Navy boat with torpedoes used in World War II

is alike but emphasizes being unarmored and not tied to a single navy or era
torpedo boat
vsmosquito boat
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A small fast military boat that fires underwater bombs near the coast

is similar but focuses on patrol and attack use rather than coastal attack role
mosquito craft
vsmosquito boat
  • Archaic
9.2

A small, fast boat with light weapons used to attack or patrol

is the same wartime small fast unarmored torpedo vessel described more as a named type
motor torpedo boat
vsmosquito boat
  • Archaic
8.1

A small fast navy boat that carries torpedoes to attack ships

is the same type but framed as a general wartime craft without naval-era emphasis

How Fast

mosquito boat
  • Archaic
8.1
to motorboat
2 3.3
patrol boat
  • Specialized
7 3.5
launch
36 6.0
rowboat
21 1.0

Surface Forms

mosquito boat singular
mosquito boats plural

Morphology

mosquito + boat

The parts 'mosquito' + 'boat' transparently signal a very small and likely nimble boat, so a B1 learner who knows both words could infer smallness or speed. However, the specialized sense of an armed, fast torpedo/patrol craft used in wartime is a conventionalized, domain-specific extension that is not fully predictable from the constituents, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The name mosquito boat comes from the image of a tiny mosquito and a small boat, because these boats were very fast and hard to catch. That's why the name refers to light war boats used for patrols and 'quick attacks'.