riverboat

noun

riv·​er·​boat ˈri-vər-ˌbōt How to pronounce riverboat (audio)
: a boat for use on a river

Examples of riverboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Passengers will sail on the American Symphony, a nearly new riverboat with decor that has nautical blue-and-white touches. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 May 2025 His younger brother Henry, who followed him into the riverboat line, had been blown up in a boiler explosion in June of 1858, not even a full year before the first of these parodies was published. John Jeremiah Sullivan, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025 In the meantime, the riverboats are dry-docked at an area recycling yard. Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 16 May 2025 An educational 25-minute riverboat cruise also runs further up the Weeki Wachee river and teaches visitors about native plants and animals, and the environmental threats to the springs (like fertilizer runoff from golf courses). Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for riverboat

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of riverboat was in 1565

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Riverboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riverboat. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

riverboat

noun
riv·​er·​boat -ˌbōt How to pronounce riverboat (audio)
: a boat used (as for carrying passengers or freight) on a river

More from Merriam-Webster on riverboat

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