steamboat

noun

steam·​boat ˈstēm-ˌbōt How to pronounce steamboat (audio)
: a boat driven by steam power
specifically : a shallow-draft vessel used on inland waterways

Examples of steamboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The waterfront, meanwhile, still bustled with river traffic throughout the steamboat age. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 The couple was afraid of being separated and fearful of what this change could mean for Lucie, so the couple began making plans to escape by steamboat. Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 9 Feb. 2024 Wild turkeys frequent the grassy hillside next to the historic Thursby House, built by pioneers in 1872, when Blue Spring was emerging as an important steamboat landing on the St. Johns. Bonnie Gross, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Directed by Walt Disney and his partner Ub Iwerks, the classic cartoon stars the chipper mascot as the whistling, rascally pilot of a steamboat floating down a river. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024 That explosion was particularly deadly because of the dense volume of people aboard the steamboat when the blast occurred at about 2 a.m. Josh Snyder, arkansasonline.com, 17 Dec. 2023 Now 67, Lafayette traveled by steamboat to Fort McHenry in Baltimore, where a group of surviving officers from the Continental Army had assembled in Washington’s tent from the Revolutionary War. Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2024 Take the Historic Stroll Down Pine Avenue The island became known in the early 1900s when day-trippers from Tampa sailed by steamboat to the bayside pier and walked a path to the beaches. Jennifer Salerno, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2023 The steamboat was near Marion, when the boilers exploded. Josh Snyder, arkansasonline.com, 17 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'steamboat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of steamboat was in 1785

Dictionary Entries Near steamboat

Cite this Entry

“Steamboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steamboat. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

steamboat

noun
steam·​boat ˈstēm-ˌbōt How to pronounce steamboat (audio)
: a boat driven by steam

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