sampan
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
1Words 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 BeechamA half-hour later Peter Gross made out a small sampan, paddled by two Dyaks, approaching from the south.
The Argus Pheasant | John Charles BeechamAfter crossing the creek in a crazy sampan the party separated, each taking his own line of country.
Life and sport in China | Oliver G. ReadyShe 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. ReadyBut 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
/ (ˈsæmpæn) /
any small skiff, widely used in the Orient, that is propelled by oars or a scull
Origin of sampan
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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