Types of boat or ship
barge
noun
a long flat boat used on rivers and canals
boat
noun
a ship, especially one that carries passengers
bowser
noun
a small tanker for fuel or water
bulk carrier
noun
a ship that carries large amounts of a product
cabin cruiser
noun
a large private boat with an engine and space for people to sleep, eat etc
canal boat
noun
a long boat used on canals
canoe
noun
a long narrow boat that you push through the water using a paddle
carrier
noun
a vehicle or ship used for moving goods or people, especially soldiers
cockleshell
noun
a small light boat
coracle
noun
a small round boat made from animal skins
cruise liner
noun
a cruise ship
cruiser
noun
a motor boat that is used for pleasure and is big enough to live on
cruise ship
noun
a large comfortable ship used for cruises
cutter
noun
a small fast ship
dhow
noun
an Arab ship with low sides and sails shaped like triangles
dinghy
noun
a rubber dinghy
dredger
noun
a boat with equipment for removing dirt and sand from the bottom of a river or lake
drifter
noun
a boat that has a net that floats next to it, used for catching fish
dugout
noun
a boat made by cutting out the inside of a log (=long piece of wood from a tree)
factory ship
noun
a large fishing boat that carries equipment to process and freeze fish that are caught
ferry
noun
a boat that makes short regular journeys between two or more places
flagship
noun
a large ship that leads a group of ships
four
noun
a narrow rowing boat for four people, used in a boat race
freighter
noun
a large ship or plane that carries goods
gondola
noun
a long narrow boat with curved ends that you move using a long pole. Gondolas are used on the canals in Venice.
houseboat
noun
a boat that someone lives in as their home
hovercraft
noun
a vehicle that can move over both land and water, raising itself above the surface by blowing air downwards
hydrofoil
noun
a boat with wing-shaped pieces fixed to the bottom that lift the boat onto the surface of the water as it starts to travel quickly
hydroplane
noun
a fast boat that travels on the surface of the water
icebreaker
noun
a ship that can break through floating ice
jetfoil
noun
a hydrofoil (=type of boat) that has a jet engine
Jet Ski
a very small fast boat for one or two people that you drive standing up
kayak
noun
a small covered canoe (=narrow boat with a point at each end) that you move with a single paddle that has two flat ends
landing craft
noun
a small boat used for carrying soldiers and equipment from a ship to the land
launch
noun
a large open boat with an engine
lifeboat
noun
a boat that goes to help people who have had an accident at sea
lifeboat
noun
a small boat kept on a ship for emergencies
life raft
noun
a small rubber boat used for saving people whose boat is sinking
lighter
noun
a low open boat used for moving goods to and from ships
lightship
noun
a small ship that stays in a particular place and uses a powerful light to show other ships where to go or to warn them of danger
liner
noun
a large passenger ship, especially one used for cruises or long-distance travel
motorboat
noun
a small boat that has an engine
narrow boat
noun
a long narrow low boat used for carrying things or people on a canal
oil tanker
noun
a large ship that carries oil
paddle boat
noun
a paddle steamer
paddle steamer
noun
a large boat that moves by using steam which pushes a set of paddles joined together in the shape of a large wheel
pedalo
noun
a very small boat that you move by pushing pedals with your feet
pleasure boat
noun
a large boat used for taking people on short journeys on lakes or rivers
powerboat
noun
a speedboat
punt
noun
a long flat boat with square ends that you move by pushing a long pole against the bottom of the river
raft
noun
a simple flat boat made by tying long pieces of wood together
raft
noun
a small light boat made of rubber or plastic
roll-on roll-off
adjective
a roll-on roll-off ship is one where vehicles drive on at one end and off at the other
rowing boat
noun
a small boat without an engine that you move using oars
rubber dinghy
noun
a small rubber boat that is filled with air to make it float
sampan
noun
a boat used in the Far East, with a flat bottom and a cover over part of the top
scull
noun
a small boat for one person that you move through the water by pulling on two long poles with flat ends. The poles are also called sculls.
ship
noun
a very large boat used for carrying people or goods long distances
showboat
noun
a large boat with a theatre on it and actors who give performances at various towns along a river
skiff
noun
a small light boat with enough space for one person
smack
noun
a small boat used for fishing
speedboat
noun
a boat with a powerful motor that can go very fast
SS
abbreviation
steamship: used before the names of ships that do not belong to the navy
steamboat
noun
a large boat that moves by steam power
steamship
noun
a ship that moves by steam power
submarine
noun
a ship that can travel both on the surface of the water and under water
supertanker
noun
a very large ship used for carrying oil or other liquids
tanker
noun
a large ship, truck, or plane that carries petrol or oil
tender
noun
a small boat used for carrying people or goods to larger boats in a port
trawler
noun
a boat used for fishing by pulling a large net through the water
tub
noun
an old boat that is in a bad condition and cannot move very fast
tug
noun
a small powerful boat used for pulling larger boats, especially in ports
vessel
noun
a large boat or ship
whaler
noun
a large boat used for hunting whales