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Definition of narrowboat

narrowboat

/ˈnær.oʊ.boʊt/
nar · row · boat
Plural:narrowboats
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narrowboat Lexical Profile

narrowboat Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

British A long, slender watercraft designed specifically to fit the narrow locks of the United Kingdom's canal network, typically used today for leisure cruising or as a floating home.

Example

"They spent a leisurely summer holiday navigating the historic canals of England on a brightly painted narrowboat."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for narrowboat

Word Nuance & Usage

The term 'narrowboat' strictly applies to boats built to the precise dimensions of British narrow canals (with a maximum width of about 7 feet or 2.13 meters), whereas wider vessels on rivers or broad canals are correctly termed 'canal boats' or 'barges'.

• Nearby Words

narratorial
narrow
narrow-headed garter snake
narrowboat
narrowcaster
narrowish
narrowly

Word Origin & Etymology

A compound of 'narrow' and 'boat', originating in late 18th-century Britain to describe vessels specifically designed to navigate the restricted dimensions of the newly constructed industrial inland canal network.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Narrowboat. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/narrowboat
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