boatman

boatman — noun

1. a man whose work is done in a small boat, especially to carry people or goods on

1.nounC1
Definition

a man whose work is done in a small boat, especially to carry people or goods on rivers, lakes, or canals, or to rent the boat to others.

Example

The boatman rowed tourists across the lake before sunset.

boatman + row people across water

At dawn, the village boatman ferried children across the canal to school.

boatman + ferry passengers across canal

Common collocations
  • local boatman
  • village boatman
  • boatman carried passengers
  • boatman rowed across the river
Synonyms
  • ferryman

    more specific; carries people or vehicles across a regular route

  • oarsman

    focuses on rowing skill; often used in sport and does not always imply a job

  • sailor

    broader and more common; usually someone working on a larger vessel

  • gondolier

    very specific; the driver of a gondola, especially in Venice

Grammar Patterns

a boatman

boatmen (plural)

Usage Note

Usually used for work on rivers, lakes, or canals, not for crew on a large sea-going ship. Common activities include carrying passengers, moving goods, and renting small boats.

Common Mistakes

The sailor rowed us across the narrow village river.
The boatman rowed us across the narrow village river.
'sailor' usually means someone working on a larger ship, often at sea.
Three boatmans waited by the pier.
Three boatmen waited by the pier.
the plural changes from 'man' to 'men'.

Word family

  • boat
    nounA1
  • boating
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Boatman is the general word here for a man who works locally with a small boat. A ferryman has a narrower job: carrying people, animals, or vehicles across the same piece of water again and again. A sailor usually works on a larger vessel, especially at sea, so the setting is much wider than a village river or canal. An oarsman is simply someone who rows; the word often appears in sport and does not always suggest paid work. A gondolier is narrower still, referring to the driver of a gondola, especially in Venice. You might hire a boatman by a riverside market, take a short crossing with a ferryman, watch an oarsman in a race, and meet sailors on a cargo ship.

ferrymansailor ↗oarsmangondolier ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • hire a boatman
  • cross the river with a boatman

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Boatman is a native English compound made from boat and man. Boat comes from Old English bat, and man comes from Old English mann. The combined word has long referred to a man whose living is connected with a small boat, especially on rivers, lakes, and canals.