ferry Meaning & Definition
What Does Ferry Mean?
Ferry is a verb that means To carry; transport; convey. It can also mean To move someone or something from one place to another, usually repeatedly. As a noun, it means A boat or ship used to transport people, smaller vehicles and goods from one port to another, usually on a regular schedule. As a noun, it means A ship used to transport people, smaller vehicles and goods from one port to another, usually on a regular schedule.
Quick Facts About Ferry
| Part of speech | verb, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈfɛɹi/ |
| Synonyms | ferrying and ferryboat |
| Plural | ferries |
| Verb forms | ferries, ferrying, ferried |
Ferry Definition (Verb)
- To carry; transport; convey.
Trucks plowed through the water to ferry flood victims to safety.
- To move someone or something from one place to another, usually repeatedly.
Being a good waiter takes more than the ability to ferry plates of food around a restaurant.
- To carry or transport over a contracted body of water, as a river or strait, in a boat or other floating conveyance plying between opposite shores.
- To pass over water in a boat or by ferry.
Ferry as a Noun
- A boat or ship used to transport people, smaller vehicles and goods from one port to another, usually on a regular schedule.
Islanders normally have to queue for half an hour to get on the ferry.
- A place where passengers are transported across water in such a ship.
- The service constituted by this watercraft's operation; the business (company) that operates such a service.
In those days there was a ferry at Sleepytown. Modern roads and bridges for motor vehicles have rendered such local river ferries obsolete.
- The legal right or franchise that entitles a corporate body or an individual to operate such a service: a right of ferry.
granted a ferry to
Noun
- A ship used to transport people, smaller vehicles and goods from one port to another, usually on a regular schedule.
- The legal right or franchise that entitles a corporate body or an individual to operate such a service.
Synonyms of Ferry
Ferry synonyms and antonyms →Ferry in a Sentence
Trucks plowed through the water to ferry flood victims to safety.
Being a good waiter takes more than the ability to ferry plates of food around a restaurant.
Islanders normally have to queue for half an hour to get on the ferry.
In those days there was a ferry at Sleepytown. Modern roads and bridges for motor vehicles have rendered such local river ferries obsolete.
granted a ferry to
Word Forms & Grammar
ferry (third-person singular simple present ferries, present participle ferrying, simple past and past participle ferried)
ferry (plural ferries)
Words That Rhyme With Ferry
Origin of Ferry
Origin 1: The verb is from Middle English ferien (“to carry, convey”), from Old English ferian, from Proto-West Germanic *farjan, from Proto-Germanic *farjaną, which see for cognates. This verb is the causative of Proto-Germanic *faraną (“to go, travel”), whence English fare; ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *per-.
Origin 2: The noun is from Middle English ferie (“place of crossing, ferry”), which was derived from the above verb under influence of Old Norse ferja, from Proto-Germanic *farjǭ, itself also from the verb *faraną.
Origin 3: False cognate of Latin ferō.
Ferry: Your Questions Answered
Is ferry a verb or a noun?
Ferry is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun.
What is another word for ferry?
Close synonyms of ferry are ferrying and ferryboat. See the full list of ferry synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of ferry?
The plural of ferry is ferries.
What is the past tense of ferry?
The past tense of ferry is ferried. The present participle is ferrying.