Boatload

Origin

From boat + load. Notionally, because the commodity in question might have constituted the entire load of a cargo ship or boat.

Full definition of boatload

Noun

1. (slang) A large quantity.He showed up an hour later with a whole boatload of hamburgers, chips, cookies, and assorted other munchies, not to mention sodas and beer, and we all fell in and stuffed ourselves silly.
• 2006, Rob Pegoraro, "Waiting for the Winner of a High-Definition High Noon", The Washington Post, December 10 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/09/AR2006120900011.htmlWhat's a fair price to pay for video perfection, or even something that looks a lot like it? In the case of high-definition movie discs, the answer may not just be "a boatload of money," but having to keep two incompatible players under the TV set.

Related terms

• containerload