ferry-boat

A ferry-boat carries cars and passengers across the wide river.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A vessel for transporting passengers and vehicles across water: A "ferry-boat" is a boat or ship used to carry people, vehicles, or goods across a body of water, typically between two fixed points on a regular schedule.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • We took the ferry-boat across the river to reach the island. (A vessel for crossing water.)
  • The ferry-boat departs every hour from the mainland dock. (A scheduled water transport service.)

Advanced Usage

• "to catch the ferry-boat": to board the vessel at the scheduled time.

  • We had to hurry to catch the last ferry-boat of the evening. (To board the vessel before it leaves.)

• "ferry-boat service": the regular operation of such vessels.

  • The ferry-boat service was suspended due to bad weather. (The regular transport operation was halted.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ferry (n): a shorter, more common term for "ferry-boat"; often used interchangeably.

  • The ferry arrives at the dock every thirty minutes. (The vessel used for regular water transport.)

• Ferryman (n): a person who operates or works on a ferry-boat.

  • The ferryman helped passengers carry their luggage onboard. (The crew member on the ferry-boat.)

Synonyms

• Passenger vessel: a ship designed to carry people.
• Water taxi: a small boat that transports passengers across short distances (often less formal than a ferry-boat).

Phrasal Verbs

• To ferry across: to transport someone or something by ferry-boat.
  • The boat ferried us across the bay in twenty minutes. (Transported us by ferry-boat across the water.)

Related Idioms

• "Ferry-boat of life": a poetic expression for the journey of life, likened to crossing a body of water.
  • He saw death as the final ferry-boat of life, taking him to the other shore. (A metaphorical use of the vessel as a symbol of transition.)