dinghy
/ˈdɪŋi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdɪŋi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdiŋ-ē -gē/ (ame, mw)
dinghy — noun
- dinghysingular
- dinghiesplural
1. a small, lightweight boat with an open top, moved by rowing, sailing, or a small
a small, lightweight boat with an open top, moved by rowing, sailing, or a small motor. It is often used to carry people or supplies between a larger vessel and the shore.
Kim rowed the dinghy from the yacht to the harbour.
row + dinghy from [location] to [location]
Diego used a small dinghy to carry food and water to the island.
dinghy as supply transport
Mei tied the dinghy to the dock before climbing onto the pier.
Tomás bought an old wooden dinghy and repaired it in his garage.
The coast guard officer checked every dinghy for safety equipment.
用法筆記
This is the broadest sense — it covers any small open boat regardless of propulsion type. For a dinghy used specifically in sailing, see sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. a small sailboat designed for one or two people, used for recreation or racing o
a small sailboat designed for one or two people, used for recreation or racing on lakes and sheltered coastal waters.
Wei won the junior dinghy race on Saturday morning.
compound: dinghy race
Elena capsized her dinghy when a strong gust of wind hit the lake.
capsize + dinghy in wind
Omar spent every Sunday afternoon sailing his dinghy across the bay.
Mei-Lin bought a second-hand sailing dinghy from the local yacht club.
Ahmed practised turning his dinghy around the buoys in the harbour.
- sailboat
a broader term for any boat with sails; a sailing dinghy is a small type of sailboat.
- racing dinghy
a dinghy built specifically for speed and racing.
用法筆記
In British English, 'dinghy' alone often refers to this sailing sense by default, whereas American English typically specifies 'sailing dinghy' to distinguish it from other types.
3. a lightweight boat made from rubber or plastic and kept afloat by trapped air, u
a lightweight boat made from rubber or plastic and kept afloat by trapped air, used as an emergency life raft or for short trips between a larger boat and the shore.
Sofia inflated the rubber dinghy before rowing out to the anchored boat.
inflate + rubber dinghy
The captain told everyone to climb into the inflatable dinghy after the alarm sounded.
Fatima paddled the plastic dinghy towards the shore while holding her camera bag.
Juan packed the rubber dinghy into a small bag after the beach trip.
Every fishing boat on the coast keeps an emergency dinghy for safety.
- rubber raft
interchangeable in most contexts, though 'raft' suggests a flatter, simpler design.
- life raft
specifically an inflatable dinghy designed for emergency survival.