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skiff

skiff

14 7.7
A small light boat for one person that you move with oars or a motor
  • noun
  • /skɪf/
: bote
  • Olive, copper, and rosy rockfish were more important in the skiff catch from Monterey than from Santa Cruz.
  • skiff fishing
  • rental skiffs
  • sea skiff

These tallied scraps float like glass skiffs, quietly for love or pity and all that.

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Examples

  • Karen trusted she could manage the skiff by herself as long as she stayed close to the shore.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I eyed him from my skiff as I ran crab pots.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Hey, get on this skiff now.

  • I thought we were gonna take that skiff out for a spin.

  • Let's get the skiff out and shove off.

  • Afternoons when I finished pulling pots, I rode the skiff to the cove.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The purpose of the meeting was to distribute permits to operate whale-watching skiffs for the 1994 season.

    Academic text (1999)
  • A small number of oyster sloops and skiffs moored in this port.

    Academic text (1990)
  • In the 1800s, workers using tongs or rakes in skiffs harvested most market oysters from planters' beds.

    Academic text (1990)
  • A fisherman carefully lowered his small skiff into the water before setting out for the day's catch.

Synonyms

boat
vsskiff
∞ 1.0

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

is specifically a small light one-person craft rather than any vessel
small boat
vsskiff
21 1.0

A boat that is small and used for short trips on lakes or rivers

is a more specific light one-person craft with oars, sail, or motor
rowboat
vsskiff
19 1.0

A small open boat moved with oars on lakes and rivers

allows sail or motor as well, not only oars
rowing boat
vsskiff
1 2.3

A small boat moved with oars for sport or fun

is usable with sail or motor not limited to oar propulsion
racing skiff
vsskiff
1 7.7

A narrow, light boat for one person used in rowing races

is a general small craft used with oars, sail, or motor rather than sport use
batel
vsskiff
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small wooden boat for rowing or fishing

is the standard modern term not this historical label
scapha
vsskiff
  • Archaic
9.9

A small shallow boat used to reach shore

is the modern common word rather than the older form

Compounds

1 7.7

A narrow, light boat for one person used in rowing races

How Big

ship
∞ 1.0
yacht
171 5.3
launch
8 6.0
rowboat
19 1.0
dinghy
17 4.8
skiff
14 7.7

Surface Forms

skiff singular
skiffs plural

Etymology

Skiff comes from old Dutch and French words that meant 'small boat' and is related to the English word ship. So a skiff is easy to remember as a tiny 'ship' for one person, which explains its current meaning.