What does "barge" mean?
A large flat-bottomed towed or self-propelled boat used mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods or bulk cargo.
Barge
/bɑːd͡ʒ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A large flat-bottomed towed or self-propelled boat used mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods or bulk cargo.
- Grammar: barge is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: lighter, amble, ark, boat.
- Useful contrasts: back away, ease, glide.
- Usage evidence: Even though our house was on TV, I'd prefer it if you wouldn't just barge in our garden and take pictures.
How to use "barge"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "barge" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "barge" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "barge" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "barge" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "barge" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "lighter" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "barge", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A large flat-bottomed towed or self-propelled boat used mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods or bulk cargo.
"Not far from the station can be seen one of the old barges of the Nar Navigation Company which has become so much a part of the bank it has a tree growing in it."
- 2 a flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals) wordnet
- 3 A richly decorated ceremonial state vessel propelled by rowers for river processions.
- 4 A large flat-bottomed coastal trading vessel having a large spritsail and jib-headed topsail, a fore staysail and a very small mizen, and having leeboards instead of a keel.
- 5 One of the boats of a warship having fourteen oars
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 The wooden disk in which bread or biscuit is placed on a mess table.
- 7 A double-decked passenger or freight vessel, towed by a steamboat. US
- 8 A large bus used for excursions. US, dated, dialectal, historical
Verb
- 1 To intrude or break through, particularly in an unwelcome or clumsy manner.
"I mean I couldn't sit there on that desk for the rest of my life, and besides, I was afraid my parents might barge in on me all of a sudden and I wanted to at least say hello to her before they did."
- 2 transport by barge on a body of water wordnet
- 3 To push someone. transitive
"The home side were professionally going about their business and were denied a spot-kick when Dunne clumsily barged Nani off the ball."
- 4 push one's way wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"Even though our house was on TV, I'd prefer it if you wouldn't just barge in our garden and take pictures."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "barge"?
Common synonyms include: lighter, amble, ark, boat, boat, bowl along.
How do you use "barge" in a sentence?
Even though our house was on TV, I'd prefer it if you wouldn't just barge in our garden and take pictures.
How do you pronounce "barge"?
Pronounced /bɑːd͡ʒ/.
Etymology
From Middle English barge, borrowed from Old French barge (“boat”), from Vulgar Latin *barga, a variant of Late Latin barca, a regular syncope of Vulgar Latin *barica, from Classical Latin bāris, from Ancient Greek βᾶρις (bâris, “Egyptian boat”), from Coptic ⲃⲁⲁⲣⲉ (baare, “small boat”), from Demotic Egyptian br, from Egyptian bꜣjrb-bA-A-y:r*Z1-P1 (“transport ship”). Doublet of bark, barque and baris.