noun
- A small rowboat or tender, typically carried aboard a larger ship.
Usage: nautical; also spelled cock-boat or cock boat
Examples
- The sailors lowered the cockboat to ferry supplies from the ship to shore.
- A cockboat was essential for the captain to reach the dock when the main vessel could not approach closely.
- The crew maintained the cockboat in good repair for emergency use.
- Several crew members climbed into the cockboat to explore the nearby cove.