narrowboat

Everyday

1. A long, thin boat made to travel on the narrow canals of Britain, usually about 2 metres wide and up to 22 metres long. tree →
2. Such a boat used as a floating home or for holidays. tree →

In the lessons

In history, narrowboats pulled by horses walking along the towpath carried coal and goods on canals in the 1700s and 1800s; families lived in a tiny cabin at the back, painted with roses and castles. In The Wind in the Willows Toad meets a barge-woman on the canal with her horse. Today many people live on narrowboats or hire them for holidays. Safety: canals have locks and deep water.

Examples

• We spent a week on a narrowboat on the canal. tree →
• A horse once pulled the narrowboat along the towpath. tree →
• The narrowboat was painted with roses and castles. tree →
• My uncle lives on a narrowboat in London. tree →
• The narrowboat went slowly through the lock. tree →
• Narrowboats are only about two metres wide. tree →

Note

Countable. Written as one word or two («narrow boat»). Mostly a British word. Not the same as a barge, which is usually wider.