flying boat: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowTechnical / Historical
Quick answer
What does “flying boat” mean?
A seaplane with a hull that can land on and take off from water, with its fuselage serving as the boat-like floating body.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A seaplane with a hull that can land on and take off from water, with its fuselage serving as the boat-like floating body.
A large, multi-engine seaplane primarily used for long-distance passenger or cargo transport over water before the dominance of land-based aircraft. Can also refer to similar designs in modern contexts (e.g., firefighting).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning. Both variants use the term. The word 'boat' itself is more widely applied to ships in British English, but the compound is technical and identical.
Connotations
Historical, evocative of early 20th-century aviation, transoceanic travel (e.g., British Imperial Airways, Pan American Clippers).
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both dialects, confined to historical, technical, or hobbyist contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “flying boat” in a Sentence
The [ADJ] flying boat [VERBed] from the [NOUN].They travelled by flying boat to [PLACE].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “flying boat” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The flying-boat service was discontinued in the 1950s. (hyphenated attributive)
American English
- The flying boat era ended with improved runways. (compound noun used attributively)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly in historical contexts of aviation or luxury travel.
Academic
Used in history of technology, transportation studies, or military history.
Everyday
Very rare. Might appear in documentaries or museums.
Technical
Standard term in aviation history and among enthusiasts. Distinction from 'floatplane' is key.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “flying boat”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “flying boat”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “flying boat”
- Using it to refer to any seaplane (specifically, it's a hull-based design, not a floatplane).
- Treating it as a verb phrase (e.g., 'The boat is flying').
- Capitalising it incorrectly unless part of a proper name (e.g., 'Short Sunderland flying boat').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A 'flying boat' is a type of seaplane. Specifically, it is a seaplane whose fuselage is a watertight hull. Other seaplanes, called 'floatplanes', have conventional fuselages mounted on floats (pontoons).
They are very rare. Most modern seaplanes are floatplanes or amphibians. Some specialised applications, like large water bombers for fighting forest fires (e.g., the Martin Mars), are based on old flying boat designs.
In the early days of long-distance air travel, many destinations lacked long, paved runways. Flying boats could use natural harbours, lakes, and rivers as their 'airports', enabling global routes over water before the widespread construction of major airports.
The Boeing 314 'Clipper', used by Pan American Airways for transatlantic and transpacific passenger service in the late 1930s and 1940s, is one of the most famous.
A seaplane with a hull that can land on and take off from water, with its fuselage serving as the boat-like floating body.
Flying boat is usually technical / historical in register.
Flying boat: in British English it is pronounced /ˌflaɪ.ɪŋ ˈbəʊt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌflaɪ.ɪŋ ˈboʊt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly associated.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BOAT that has grown wings and is FLYING. The name tells you exactly what it is.
Conceptual Metaphor
A BOAT IS A BIRD (It 'flies' like a bird but has the body/function of a boat).
Practice
Quiz
What is the key design feature of a 'flying boat'?