a vessel for transport by water, constructed to provide buoyancy by excluding water and shaped to give stability and permit propulsion.

a small ship, generally for specialized use

a fishing boat.

a small vessel carried for use by a large one, as a lifeboat

They lowered the boats for evacuation.

a ship.

a vessel of any size built for navigation on a river or other inland body of water.

a serving dish resembling a boat

a gravy boat; a celery boat.

Ecclesiastical . a container for holding incense before it is placed in the censer.

to go in a boat

We boated down the Thames.

to transport in a boat

They boated us across the bay.

to remove (an oar) from the water and place athwartships. Compare ship ( def. 8 ) . ?

in the same boat

in the same circumstances; faced with the same problems

The new recruits were all in the same boat.

miss the boat

Informal .

to fail to take advantage of an opportunity

He missed the boat when he applied too late to get into college.

to miss the point of; fail to understand

I missed the boat on that explanation.

rock the boat. rock 2 ( def. 15 ) .

noun

ark , barge , bark , bateau , bottom , bucket , canoe , catamaran , craft , dinghy , dory , hulk , ketch , launch , lifeboat , pinnace , raft , sailboat , schooner , scow , ship , skiff , sloop , steamboat , tub , yachtnotes:a boat is a vessel that can be hauled aboard a ship , according to the navy , with a ship being somewhat larger , argo , argosy , banca , brig , bucentaur , bully , bumboat , caique , caravel , cat , catboat , coble , cock , cockleshell , cog , coggle , coracle , cruise , cruiser , currach , cutter , dhow , dinghey , drifter , drogher , dugout , felucca , ferry , ferry-boat , frigate , galley , garvey , gig , gondola , hovercraft , hoy , hydrofoil , hydroplane , inboard , junk , kayak , life , lighter , liner , longboat , lugger , masoola , moses , motor , oomiac , outboard , pink , pirogue , pontoon , praam , proa , punt , randan , river , row , rowboat , sail , sampan , scooter , scull , shallop , shell , skag , smack , steam , steamer , submarine , tack , tanker , tartan , tender , tow , towboat , transport , trawler , trekschuit , trimaran , trow , tug , umiak , una boat , vaporetto , vedette , vessel , wangan , water craft , watercraft , wherry , xebec , yacht , yawl