motorboat

[moh-ter-boht]

noun

1. a boat propelled by an inboard or outboard motor.

verb (used without object)

1. to travel in or operate a motorboat.

   to motorboat from Hyannis to Martha's Vineyard.

motorboat

/ ˈməʊtəˌbəʊt /

noun

1. any boat powered by a motor

Other Word Forms

• motorboater noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of motorboat¹

First recorded in 1900–05; motor + boat

Example Sentences

This summer, Carle has continued his research at night, setting out in a motorboat on Mono Lake to catch phalaropes.

From Los Angeles Times

"Its scientific, ecological, cultural importance, whether you are an artist, a poet, wild swimmer, motorboat owner, it's just intertwined in the whole kind of social and ecological fabric of the Lake District," he added.

From BBC

On a recent morning, Miller steered a motorboat to the islands where gulls nest.

From Los Angeles Times

In essence, it was a big raft, with tall, reinforced sides on 60 empty steel drums for buoyancy, towed by motorboat.

From Salon

Jagged grey peaks suddenly appear before us, as the motorboat navigates choppy coastal waters and dramatic fjords at Greenland's southern tip.

From BBC