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Definition of towboat

towboat

/ˈtoʊˌboʊt/
tow · boat
Plural:towboats
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towboat Lexical Profile

towboat Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American A powerful, shallow-draft commercial vessel with a squared bow and upright steel knees, used primarily on inland rivers and canals to push or guide groups of barges lashed together.

Example

"A large diesel towboat slowly pushed a flotilla of grain barges down the Mississippi River."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for towboat

Word Nuance & Usage

While often used interchangeably with 'tugboat', 'towboat' specifically refers to a flat-bowed river vessel with heavy steel upright columns (towing knees) designed to push clusters of barges rather than pull them with a line.

• Rhymes for towboat

• Nearby Words

toward
towaway
towbar
towboat
towel
towelette
toweling

Cite this Entry

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