towboat

noun

tow·​boat ˈtō-ˌbōt How to pronounce towboat (audio)
1
2
: a compact shallow-draft boat with a squared bow designed and fitted for pushing tows of barges on inland waterways

Examples of towboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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According to her Forbes profile, Ingram Marine operates 5,000 barges and approximately 150 towboats on America's inland waterways. Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 11 Dec. 2024 Another Washington's treaty ally, Japan, reported that a submarine and a rescue towboat of Russia on December 3 were sailing northward in the waters between two of the country's southwestern islands , a marginal sea of the Western . Ryan Chan, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024 Besides the vessels visiting China, another Russian naval group, which is composed of a submarine and a rescue towboat, was spotted sailing northward on Tuesday in the waters between Japan's southwestern islands of Yonaguni and Iriomote in the Philippine Sea. Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024 The filing also details acquisitions, including the purchase of 13 inland tank barges and two high horsepower towboats for $65.2 million. Quartz Bot, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for towboat 

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of towboat was in 1815

Dictionary Entries Near towboat

Cite this Entry

“Towboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/towboat. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

towboat

noun
tow·​boat ˈtō-ˌbōt How to pronounce towboat (audio)
1
2
: a compact shallow-draft boat for pushing barges on inland waterways

More from Merriam-Webster on towboat

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