ferry

[ fer-ee ]
See synonyms for: ferryferried on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural fer·ries.
  1. a commercial service with terminals and boats for transporting persons, automobiles, etc., across a river or other comparatively small body of water.

  2. a ferryboat.

  1. a service for flying airplanes over a particular route, especially the delivery of airplanes to an overseas purchaser or base of operations.

  2. the legal right to ferry passengers, cargo, etc., and to charge for the service.

verb (used with object),fer·ried, fer·ry·ing.
  1. to carry or convey back and forth over a fixed route in a boat or plane.

  2. to fly (an airplane) over a particular route, especially for delivery.

verb (used without object),fer·ried, fer·ry·ing.
  1. to go in a ferry.

Origin of ferry

1
before 1150; Middle English ferien,Old English ferian to carry; cognate with Old Norse ferja,Gothic farjan; akin to fare

Other words from ferry

  • un·fer·ried, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ferry in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ferry

ferry

/ (ˈfɛrɪ) /


nounplural -ries
  1. Also called: ferryboat a vessel for transporting passengers and usually vehicles across a body of water, esp as a regular service

    • such a service

    • (in combination): a ferryman

  1. a legal right to charge for transporting passengers by boat

  2. the act or method of delivering aircraft by flying them to their destination

verb-ries, -rying or -ried
  1. to transport or go by ferry

  2. to deliver (an aircraft) by flying it to its destination

  1. (tr) to convey (passengers, goods, etc): the guests were ferried to the church in taxis

Origin of ferry

1
Old English ferian to carry, bring; related to Old Norse ferja to transport, Gothic farjan; see fare

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012