sampan

[ sam-pan ]

noun
  1. any of various small boats of East Asia, such as one propelled by a single scull over the stern and provided with a roofing of mats.

Origin of sampan

1
First recorded in 1610–20; from Chinese sān bǎn “three-plank (boat)”

Words Nearby sampan

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

How to use sampan in a sentence

  • The pirate reached for it, but at that moment the sampan went down and left him swirling in the water.

    The Argus Pheasant | John Charles Beecham
  • A half-hour later Peter Gross made out a small sampan, paddled by two Dyaks, approaching from the south.

    The Argus Pheasant | John Charles Beecham
  • After crossing the creek in a crazy sampan the party separated, each taking his own line of country.

    Life and sport in China | Oliver G. Ready
  • She followed the hermit to the river side, where his small and leaky sampan was drawn up on the mud.

    Life and sport in China | Oliver G. Ready
  • But at Yokohama, Blake hurried ashore in a sampan, met an agent who seemed to be awaiting him, and caught a train for Kobe.

    The Shadow | Arthur Stringer

British Dictionary definitions for sampan

sampan

/ (ˈsæmpæn) /


noun
  1. any small skiff, widely used in the Orient, that is propelled by oars or a scull

Origin of sampan

1
C17: from Chinese san pan, from san three + pan board

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