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Packet boat
Definitions
- 1 An ocean-going ship chartered by the government to carry the mail and official communications. historical
"For every trunk, portmanteau, chest, box, bag, bundle, packet, or parcel, conveyed from any inn to the Custom-house, and from thence to or on board any boat, passage vessel, or packet boat, or landed from any boat, passage vessel or packet boat, and conveyed to the Custom-house, and from thence to any inn, or to the Custom-house only, or direct to any inn, or to any part of the town, not exceeding 28lbs in weight, whether carried by barrow, knot, or hand"
- 2 a boat for carrying mail wordnet
- 3 A boat that carried mail, cargo, and, in later years, some passengers along a regularly scheduled route up and down a river or canal. historical
"On the night in question the plaintiff's boat had arrived at the harbour of Moyvalley, shortly before the arrival of the packet boat; and after touching at the Moyvalley side, so as to give facility to one of the persons on board to hand out oats for the purpose of feeding the horses engaged in drawing the boat, the persons on board pushed the boat with poles across towards the opposite side of the canal, within a few yards of another boat, which was moored close to the opposite bank, in which position the plaintiff's boat was, when the packet boat entered the harbour or station."
- 4 A boat specifically designed to provide transportation to passengers on a regular schedule up and down a river or canal. historical
"On the canal is a packet boat with a few passengers visible on top."
Etymology
From packet, meaning the packets of mail that were carried. For the passenger boats, the name derives from the boats that carried mail (and sometimes passengers) on rivers or canals, from which these services evolved.
See also for "packet boat"
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Unscramble this word: packetboat