Definition

Noun: A serving dish, typically with a boat-like shape and a spout, designed specifically for holding and pouring gravy or sauce at the table.

Usage

The term "gravy boat" is used to refer to the specific piece of tableware used for serving gravy. It is a compound noun where "gravy" specifies the intended contents and "boat" describes the common shape. It is used as a countable noun.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Could you please pass the gravy boat?
  • The silver gravy boat was a wedding gift.
  • She carefully poured the hot gravy from the gravy boat onto the mashed potatoes.

Advanced Usage

• The term is sometimes used humorously or metaphorically to refer to an unexpected source of easy money or benefit, though this is an extension of the idiom "gravy train" and not the primary meaning of the object itself.
  • After the contract was signed, the new project became a gravy boat for the consulting firm.

Variants and Related Words

• Sauce boat: A synonym for "gravy boat," often used interchangeably, though it can imply a slightly more general use for various sauces.
• Gravy: A sauce made from the juices of cooked meat.
• Tureen: A larger, deeper covered dish for serving soups or stews, distinct from a boat-shaped pourer.

Synonyms

• Sauce boat
• Sauce server

Antonyms

• There is no direct antonym, as it is a specific object. Contrasting items might include a plate or bowl, which are for holding food, not for designed pouring.

Related Phrases

• Gravy train (Idiom): A situation that provides easy financial benefits.
  • He got a job on the gravy train with very little work.
  • (Note: This idiom is related in word origin but is distinct from "gravy boat.")

Noun

1. a dish (often boat-shaped) for serving gravy or sauce