ferry

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To carry; transport; convey.
2. (transitive) To move someone or something from one place to another, usually repeatedly.
3. (transitive) To carry or transport over a contracted body of water, as a river or strait, in a boat or other floating conveyance plying between opposite shores.
4. (intransitive) To pass over water in a boat or by ferry.

Noun

1. A boat or ship used to transport people, smaller vehicles and goods from one port to another, usually on a regular schedule.
2. A place where passengers are transported across water in such a ship.
3. The service constituted by this watercraft's operation; the business (company) that operates such a service.
4. The legal right or franchise that entitles a corporate body or an individual to operate such a service: a right of ferry.

Synonyms

ferryboat

cross

transport

ford

ferry boat

crossing

carry

passage boat

raft

barge

transit

convey

harbour

wharf

car-ferry

ferry-boat

ferrying

deliver

dock

dribble

drive

drive around

etc

get across

go across

guide

harbor

haul

jar

🫙

jug

ocean liner

pail

pass

passage

pass over

pier

piggyback

pontoon

port

pot

propel

punt

punts

quay

sack

ship

🚢

shuttle

slick

smilax

swing

Translations

bac

⛴️

Fähre

⛴️

traghetto

⛴️

ferry

⛴️

transbordador

⛴️

veerboot

balsa

veerpont

feribot

⛴️

ferry

traghettare

⛴️

Fährschiff

rai

πορθμείο

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈfɛɹi/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: ferien

Cognate with German: -

Cognate with Danish: færge

Cognate with Swedish: färja

Cognate with Icelandic: ferja

Cognate with Old Norse: ferja

In summary

From Middle English ferien (“to carry, convey, convey in a boat”), from Old English ferian (“to carry, convey, bear, bring, lead, conduct, betake oneself to, be versed in, depart, go”), from Proto-West Germanic *farjan, from Proto-Germanic *farjaną (“to make or let go, transfer, ferry”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to bring or carry over, transfer, pass through”).
Cognate with Dutch veren (“to ferry”), German dialectal feren, fähren (“to row, sail”), Danish færge (“to ferry”), Faroese, Icelandic ferja (“to ferry”), Norwegian Bokmål ferge, ferje (“ferry”), Norwegian Nynorsk ferja, ferje, ferju (“to ferry”), Swedish färja (“to ferry”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 (farjan, “to sail, row”). Related to fare.

Sentences

Taking the ferry was a wise choice .

Ambergris Caye can also be reached by ferry from Chetumal in Mexico .