Definition

Noun: 1. A small boat used for communication or transport between a ship and the shore: A pinnace is a light boat, often carried aboard a larger vessel, primarily used to ferry people, messages, or supplies to and from land. 2. Historically, a small sailing ship often accompanying a fleet: In earlier naval contexts, a pinnace could also refer to a small, fast sailing vessel used for scouting, carrying dispatches, or as a tender.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The captain ordered the pinnace to be lowered so he could go ashore for the meeting.
  • Supplies were transferred from the merchant ship to the dock using its pinnace.
  • In the 17th century, the fleet's pinnace would sail ahead to scout the coastline.

Advanced Usage

• "Ship's pinnace": A specific pinnace belonging to and serving a particular ship.
  • The ship's pinnace was damaged in the storm and needed repairs.
• As a historical term: Used in narratives about naval history or historical fiction.
  • The pirate captain escaped in a commandeered pinnace.

Variants and Related Words

• Launch (noun): Another term for a large motorboat carried by a ship, often used for similar purposes as a pinnace but typically larger.
• Tender (noun): A general term for a vessel that services or supplies a larger ship or fleet; a pinnace is a type of tender.
• Dinghy (noun): A small, open boat, often used as a tender for a yacht; similar in function but usually smaller and simpler than a traditional pinnace.

Synonyms

• Ship's boat: A general term for any small boat carried on a ship.
• Jolly boat: A specific type of ship's boat, usually clinker-built.
• Gig: A light, narrow ship's boat, often used by the captain.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Pinnace" is a noun and does not form standard phrasal verbs. The related usage involves prepositional phrases.) - "To lower the pinnace": To deploy the pinnace from its davits on the ship into the water. - The crew lowered the pinnace as they approached the harbor. - "To take to the pinnace": To use the pinnace for transport. - When the main ship ran aground, the passengers had to take to the pinnace.

Related Idioms

(Note: There are no common idioms centered on the word "pinnace." It is a specific nautical term.)

Noun

1. a boat for communication between ship and shore