pontoon

¹

Also pon·ton

[pon-toon]

noun

1. Military.,  a boat or some other floating structure used as one of the supports for a temporary bridge over a river.

2. a float for a derrick, landing stage, etc.

3. Nautical.,  a float for raising a sunken or deeply laden vessel in the water; a camel or caisson.

4. a seaplane float.

pontoon

²

[pon-toon]

noun

British.

1. the card game twenty-one.

pontoon

¹

/ pɒnˈtuːn /

noun

1. 1. a watertight float or vessel used where buoyancy is required in water, as in supporting a bridge, in salvage work, or where a temporary or mobile structure is required in military operations

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pontoon bridge

2. nautical a float, often inflatable, for raising a vessel in the water

pontoon

²

/ pɒnˈtuːn /

noun

1. Also called: twenty-one.  vingt-et-un. a gambling game in which players try to obtain card combinations worth 21 points

2. (in this game) the combination of an ace with a ten or court card when dealt to a player as his first two cards

Word History and Origins

Origin of pontoon¹

1585–95; < French ponton < Latin pontōn- (stem of pontō ) flat-bottomed boat, punt

Origin of pontoon²

1915–20; alteration of French vingt-et-un twenty-one

Word History and Origins

Origin of pontoon¹

C17: from French ponton, from Latin pontō punt, floating bridge, from pōns bridge

Origin of pontoon²

C20: probably an alteration of French vingt-et-un, literally: twenty-one

Example Sentences

"I could smell gas leaking, some gentlemen helped take passengers off a pontoon boat that got stuck in the shore," Ms Brigantino said.

From BBC

Fishing: At Trinity Lake, you can rent a deck boat, pontoon boat or houseboat and try your hand at catching large and smallmouth bass, rainbow trout and Kokanee salmon.

From Los Angeles Times

Fraser came of age on Mercer Island, adjacent to Lake Washington’s eastern shore, across a heavily-trafficked pontoon bridge notorious for fatal crashes.

From Los Angeles Times

They were still bros, by virtue of being young, male and white, but they weren’t fielding invites to keggers in corn fields or weekend pontoon trips.

From Salon

The icy water is like fire on my skin and all my brain can think of is making it to the pontoon without needing help from the lifeguards.

From BBC