| 释义 |
ˈflat-boat
(Also as two words.)
1. A broad flat-bottomed boat, used for transport, esp. in shallow waters.
1660F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 209 Almost every inhabitant hath his Almady or flat boat, wherein they recreate upon the Lake. 1711Lond. Gaz. No. 4919/2 They have a great number of flat Boats with them. 1801Nelson in Nicolas Disp. 21 July IV. 427 A Flotilla..to consist of Gun-boats and Flat-boats. 1806Naval Chron. XV. 90 He commanded a division of flat boats.
b. U.S. A large roughly-made boat formerly much used for floating goods, etc. down the Mississippi and other western rivers.
1837H. Martineau Soc. Amer. II. 199 Notwithstanding the increase of steam-boats in the Mississippi, flat boats are still much in use. 1883C. F. Woolson For the Major iv, African slaves poling their flat-boats along the Southern rivers.
2. attrib. and Comb., as flatboat-man, ‘a hand employed on a flat-boat’ (Bartlett).
1837H. Martineau Soc. Amer. II. 200, I felt a strong inclination for a flat-boat voyage down the vast and beautiful Mississippi. 1864Lowell McClellan's Rep. Prose Wks. 1890 V. 116 A country where a flatboatman may rise to the top, by virtue of mere manhood.
Hence flat-boat v. trans., to transport in a flat-boat (U.S. colloq.).
1858Nat. Intelligencer 29 July (Bartlett) Fruit, which he flat-boated from Wheeling to that point. |