horse-boatn.
1.
a. A ferry-boat for conveying horses or carriages.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessel for transporting people or goods > [noun] > ferry > types of
toni1582
horse-boat1591
bac1676
ferry bridge1696
rope-ferry1755
pont1776
ferry flat1805
steam-ferry1812
steam ferry-boat1812
night boat1839
bar-boat1857
train ferry-boat1867
car ferry1884
grind1889
swinging-bridge1892
train ferry1900
night ferry1948
SeaCat1954
walla-walla1957
1591 R. Percyvall Bibliotheca Hispanica Dict. at Tafurea A horse boate, Hippagium.
1665 S. Pepys Diary 31 July (1972) VI. 175 The horse-boat could not get off on the other side the river to bring away the coach.
1755 S. Johnson Dict. Eng. Lang. Horseboat, a boat used in ferrying horses.
1849 E. B. Eastwick Dry Leaves 22 In another..boat, I embarked my horses. My horse-boat [etc.].
b. A type of landing-craft.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > war vessel > [noun] > ship transporting troops or stores > landing craft
well-boat1690
horse-boat1907
tank landing lighter1917
landing craft1940
Siebel ferry1942
tank landing ship1942
landing ship1943
storm boat1945
1907 Daily Chron. 25 Feb. 6/3 Exercises with the new form of steel horse-boat were carried out..on Saturday by an A.S.C. contingent... At the stern is a large flap which falls down to facilitate landing.
1923 Man. Seamanship (H.M.S.O.) II. 215 Horseboats would be excellent for landing troops except for the fact that they are unhandy.
2. North American. A boat whose paddle-wheels are driven by horses working a tread-mill. †Obsolete exc. Historical.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > mechanically propelled vessels > [noun] > propelled by paddles > worked by horses
horse-boat1823
1823 I. Holmes Acct. U.S.A. 315 One of the horse-boats which cross the North River..is of a very peculiar construction.
1828 N. Webster Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang. Horseboat..a boat moved by horses; a new species of ferry-boat.
1829 Brockville (Upper Canada) Gaz. 28 Aug. 2/5 In crossing the lake..the Steamboat Montreal and the horse-boat came in contact with each other.
1897 R. E. Robinson Uncle Lisha's Outing 257 They wended their way to the ferry just in time to see the horse boat come splashing into port, the four horses plodding their unprogressive journey on the revolving wheel.
1928 Old-Time New Eng. Apr. 161 Before the wreck of the Belknap a new type of freighter, the horse-boat, appeared on the lake. The first one of its kind was built on Long Island in 1838. It was an open scow propelled by paddle-wheels, the motive power being supplied by a pair of horses tramping a treadmill.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1899; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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