Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of boat
"The harbor was filled with colorful boats bobbing gently on the water."
In plain English: Boats are vehicles that float on water and carry people or things across it.
"We saw many small boats floating on the calm river."
Usage: Use boats to refer to multiple watercraft designed for floating on bodies of water. Do not confuse this plural noun with the singular word when counting more than one vessel.
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of boat
"She boats her own canoe every weekend on the lake."
In plain English: To boat means to travel in a small ship across water.
"The captain warned us not to boats into the stormy waters without proper training."
Usage: Boats is the correct third-person singular form used when the subject is he, she, it, or a singular noun, such as "The river boats three logs." Do not use this spelling if you mean to carry something in a vessel, which requires the base verb form "boat" for plural subjects like "They boat."
Boats is the plural form of boat, which entered English from Old French bote or Middle Dutch boot. The ultimate origin traces back to a Germanic root meaning "to float" or "swim.