Dinghy

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈdɪŋ(ɡ)i/

Definitions

1. A small lightweight boat, typically carried aboard a larger vessel or used for short-distance travel in shallow water
2. A small, often inflatable vessel designed for short journeys in calm waters or for use as a lifeboat on larger ships
3. This is a type of lightweight boat that is usually powered by oars or a small motor and is commonly utilized in harbors or bays

Etymology: The small boat that bobs beside a larger vessel began its English life in India. Its ancestor is the Bengali "ḍiṅi", a word for a small boat, and it may trace back further to the Sanskrit "droṇa", meaning a wooden trough. That origin is plausible rather than certain, but the link is reasonable: a hollowed log or trough makes a natural early model for a small craft. The word reached English through the colonial contact between British traders and the Bengal region, where such boats were a familiar sight on the rivers and along the coast. English speakers adopted it for the small open boats they encountered there, and the term then spread into general nautical use.

Synonyms: boat, skiff, yacht