Yacht

Pronunciation

• IPA: /jÉ’t/
• Rhymes: -É’t

Origin

Circa 1557; variant of yaught, earlier yeaghe ("light, fast-sailing ship"), from Dutch jacht ("hunt"), in older spelling jaght(e), short for jaghtschip, jageschip ("light sailing vessel, fast pirate ship"), literally, "pursuit ship", compound of jagen ("to hunt, chase") and schip ("ship") (see ship), from Proto-Germanic *jagōną (cf. West Frisian jeie, German jagen, Swedish jaga), from Proto-Indo-European *yegʰo- (compare Irish éad ("jealousy"), Russian ярый (járyj, "furious"), Albanian gjah ("hunt"), Ancient Greek ζητέω (zētéō, "to search, seek"), Sanskrit यवन (yāvana, "barbarian; agressor"), यत्न (yātna, "zeal")).

In the 16th century the Dutch built light, fast ships to chase the ships of pirates and smugglers from the coast. The ship was introduced to England in 1660 when the Dutch East India Company presented one to King Charles II, who used it as a pleasure boat, after which it was copied by British shipbuilders as a pleasure craft for wealthy gentlemen.

Full definition of yacht

Noun

1. A slick and light ship for making pleasure trips or racing on water, having sails but often motor-powered. At times used as a residence offshore on a dock. "Would you like to go sailing on my uncle’s yacht?" "You are a true yachtsman! Are you a member of the local yacht club?"
2. Any vessel used for private, noncommercial purposes.
• 1907, w, The Younger Set Chapter 6, “I don’t mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera,...the chlorotic squatters on huge yachts,...the neurotic victims of mental cirrhosis, … !”

Derived terms

• ice yacht
• land yacht
• motor yacht, motoryacht, MY
• sailing yacht, steam yacht, SY
• yacht club
• yachter
• yachting
• yachtless
• yachtsman

Verb

1. (intransitive) To sail, voyage, or race in a yacht.

Anagrams

• Cathy