houseboat

noun

house·​boat ˈhau̇s-ˌbōt 

: a boat fitted for use as a dwelling

especially : a pleasure craft with a broad beam, a usually shallow draft, and a large superstructure resembling a house

houseboater

ˈhau̇s-ˌbō-tər 

noun

Examples of houseboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Note: During the off-season (now), the houseboat is parked in the host’s driveway. —Weike Wang, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

Altemus understood that the houseboat had been financed by Deering, who knew about the men’s relationship—and how Chalfin bred pedigreed Chow Chow dogs. —Julio Capó Jr. & Helena Gomez, TIME, 4 Dec. 2024

This marks a dramatic improvement from previous years, when water levels were so low that houseboats clustered in the center of the lake. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024

Her husband sleeps in a houseboat in their driveway. —Devon Ivie, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1772, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

houseboat

noun

house·​boat ˈhau̇s-ˌbōt 

: a roomy usually shallow and flat-bottomed pleasure boat equipped for use as a dwelling or for cruising