ferried; ferrying
1
a
: to carry by boat over a body of water
b
: to cross by a ferry
2
a
: to convey (as by aircraft or motor vehicle) from one place to another : transport
b
: to fly (an airplane) from the factory or other shipping point to a designated delivery point or from one base to another
: to cross water in a boat
plural ferries
1
: a place where persons or things are carried across a body of water (such as a river) in a boat
2
3
: a franchise or right to operate a ferry service across a body of water
4
: an organized service and route for flying airplanes especially across a sea or continent for delivery to the user
Examples of ferry in a Sentence
Verb
The cars were ferried across the river.
They ferry supplies to the island.
Noun
Ferries to both islands depart daily.
You can get there by ferry.
We'll meet you at the ferry.
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
The flight was part of NASA's commercial crew program, which contracts with private companies to ferry astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 18 Mar. 2025
Laura Begley Bloom, AFAR Media, 10 Mar. 2025
Petite Martinique can only be reached via boat from Carriacou—the quick 30-minute ferry ride is offered once or twice a day on weekdays.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferry
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Verb
More: Narco-submarine crew arrested in plot to ferry thousands of kilos of coke on the high seas
Narco-subs and fishermen spies
Corrupting authorities responsible for finding drug traffickers is just one of the many ways smugglers aim to bring cocaine to the U.S. undetected by law enforcement.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
The flight was part of NASA's commercial crew program, which contracts with private companies to ferry astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 18 Mar. 2025
Noun
This tiny neighboring island is a short ferry ride from Grand Turk and home to clean beaches and remnants of the region’s salt-producing past.
—Laura Begley Bloom, AFAR Media, 10 Mar. 2025
Petite Martinique can only be reached via boat from Carriacou—the quick 30-minute ferry ride is offered once or twice a day on weekdays.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferry
Cite this Entry
“Ferry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ferry. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ferry
1 of 2 verb
fer·ry
ˈfer-ē 
ferried; ferrying
1
a
: to carry by boat over a body of water
b
: to cross by a ferry
2
a
: to carry (as by aircraft or motor vehicle) from one place to another
b
: to deliver (an airplane) by flying it to its destination
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