Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BOAT, n. [Sax. bat; Sw. bat; Dan. baad; W. bâd; Ir. bad; D. boot; G. bot, a boat; It. dim. battello, a little boat, whence Fr. bateau; Sp. bote, a boat.]

1. A small open vessel, or water craft, usually moved by oars, or rowing. The forms, dimensions and uses of boats are very various, and some of them carry a light sail. The different kinds of boats have different names; as, long-boat, lanch, barge, pinnace, jolly-boat, cutter, yawl, ferry-boat, wherry, Moses-boat, punt, felucca, fishing-boat, perogue, &c.
2. A small vessel carrying a mast and sails; but usually described by another word, as a packet-boat, passage-boat, advice-boat, &c. – Johnson.