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riverboat

riverboat

18 2.5
A boat that travels on a river, often used for tours or fun
  • noun
  • /ˈrɪvərˌboʊt/
translation icon : barco fluvial
  • There's a riverboat that'll take me out of this here city.
  • riverboat dinner cruise

And like I said, Leonce Le Blanc, my old riverboat captain, he was he was Leather Head and my Uncle Sam.

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Examples

  • For sightseeing without breaking a sweat, take a riverboat down the Thames.

  • Or we could just take a riverboat ride on the river.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • To tell them to be ready at the riverboat for their coming.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The tour cost, including the riverboat tour cost, is estimated at about $44.

    Academic text (2004)
  • The last leg of our journey took us to Old Zigui to catch a riverboat.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Some settlers penetrated the area via riverboat before 1930, but numbers were small and settler impact was limited.

    Academic text (2002)
  • A few years ago, my husband and I rode the Discovery Riverboat on the Chena River near Fairbanks, Alaska.

    Academic text (2011)
  • At the river, we boarded long riverboat taxis to visit the Royal Monastery of the Emerald Buddha.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Vince and Russ sit in a canopied riverboat as it putt-putts downriver.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The riverboat was filled with tourists enjoying a scenic cruise along the Mississippi River.

Synonyms

boat
vsriverboat
1.0

A small vehicle used on water to carry people, like a rowboat or motorboat

is typically larger and used for river transport or services
vessel
vsriverboat
698 3.3

A large boat or ship used for travel on water

is specific to travel on rivers rather than any large water travel
barge
vsriverboat
57 3.9

A large flat boat that carries heavy goods on rivers or canals

is any river craft, not only a heavy cargo carrier
steamboat
vsriverboat
  • Archaic
15 5.6

A boat powered by steam that worked on rivers in the 1800s

is any river craft not limited to steam propulsion
showboat
vsriverboat
  • Archaic
11 9.8

A river boat that gives plays and music shows

is a general river craft not focused on entertainment use
watercraft
vsriverboat
4 3.9

A boat or ship that carries people and things on water

is specific to river travel rather than all water vehicles
paddle-wheeler
vsriverboat
  • Archaic
1 7.7

A steam boat with big wheels on the sides that push it through rivers or lakes

is a general river craft not specifically driven by paddle wheels
flatboat
vsriverboat
  • Archaic
1 8.1

A long boat with a flat bottom and square ends used to carry heavy loads on rivers

is a general river craft not defined by flat shape or cargo role
keelboat
vsriverboat
  • Archaic
1 9.6

A long narrow river boat moved by rowing or towing to carry goods

is any river craft used for transport or leisure beyond freight rowing
river boat
vsriverboat
1 2.9

A boat that carries people or goods along a river

is the single-word modern form of the same name
paddleboat
vsriverboat
1 3.2

A large river boat with big wheels that push water to move

is any river craft not defined by paddle wheel movement
packet boat
vsriverboat
  • Archaic
1 7.5

A boat that carries mail and sometimes people and goods on a regular route

is broader, serving many river transport or leisure purposes
mailboat
vsriverboat
5.5

A boat that carries mail and small supplies to islands and remote places

is a river craft not limited to delivering postal items

How Big

steamship
  • Archaic
6 3.7
riverboat
18 2.5
paddleboat
1 3.2
rowboat
21 1.0

Surface Forms

riverboat singular
riverboats plural

Morphology

riverboat = river + boat (transparent) = river + boat

The meaning is directly the combination of 'river' + 'boat' (a boat for use on rivers), which is clear to learners who know both words.

Etymology

The word riverboat is made from the simple words river ('a large, flowing body of water') and boat ('a small ship'), so it literally means a boat for use on a river. That's why a riverboat today is a boat built for travel or tours on rivers, often used for transport, leisure, or historic paddle-wheel trips.