Boat vs. Launch — What's the Difference?

A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inland waterways such as rivers and lakes, or in protected coastal areas.

Set (a boat) in motion by pushing it or allowing it to roll into the water

A relatively small, usually open craft of a size that might be carried aboard a ship.

Start or set in motion (an activity or enterprise)

An inland vessel of any size.

An act or instance of launching something

A ship or submarine.

A large motorboat, used especially for short trips

A dish shaped like a boat

To throw or propel with force; hurl

To travel by boat.

To set or thrust (a self-propelled craft or projectile) in motion

To ride a boat for pleasure.

(Nautical) To put (a boat) into the water in readiness for use.

To transport by boat.

To set going; initiate

To place in a boat.

To introduce to the public or to a market

A craft used for transportation of goods, fishing, racing, recreational cruising, or military use on or in the water, propelled by oars or outboard motor or inboard motor or by wind.

To give (someone) a start, as in a career or vocation.

(poker slang) A full house.

To begin a new venture or phase; embark

A vehicle, utensil, or dish somewhat resembling a boat in shape.

To enter enthusiastically into something; plunge

(chemistry) One of two possible conformations of cyclohexane rings (the other being chair), shaped roughly like a boat.

The act of launching.

The refugee boats arriving in Australian waters, and by extension, refugees generally.

A large ship's boat.

(intransitive) To travel by boat.

A large, open motorboat.

(transitive) To transport in a boat.

(transitive) To throw (a projectile such as a lance, dart or ball); to hurl; to propel with force.

(transitive) To place in a boat.

To pierce with, or as with, a lance.

A small open vessel, or water craft, usually moved by cars or paddles, but often by a sail.

(transitive) To cause (a vessel) to move or slide from the land or a larger vessel into the water; to set afloat.

Hence, any vessel; usually with some epithet descriptive of its use or mode of propulsion; as, pilot boat, packet boat, passage boat, advice boat, etc. The term is sometimes applied to steam vessels, even of the largest class; as, the Cunard boats.

(transitive) To cause (a rocket, balloon, etc., or the payload thereof) to begin its flight upward from the ground.

A vehicle, utensil, or dish, somewhat resembling a boat in shape; as, a stone boat; a gravy boat.

(transitive) To send out; to start (someone) on a mission or project; to give a start to (something); to put in operation

To transport in a boat; as, to boat goods.

To start (a program or feature); to execute or bring into operation.

To place in a boat; as, to boat oars.

(transitive) To release; to put onto the market for sale

To go or row in a boat.

(intransitive) Of a ship, rocket, balloon, etc.: to depart on a voyage; to take off.

A small vessel for travel on water

To move with force and swiftness like a sliding from the stocks into the water; to plunge; to begin.

A dish (often boat-shaped) for serving gravy or sauce

To start to operate.

Ride in a boat on water

The movement of a vessel from land into the water; especially, the sliding on ways from the stocks on which it is built. (Compare: to splash a ship.)

The act or fact of launching (a ship/vessel, a project, a new book, etc.).

An event held to celebrate the launch of a ship/vessel, project, a new book, etc.; a launch party.

(nautical) The boat of the largest size and/or of most importance belonging to a ship of war, and often called the "captain's boat" or "captain's launch".

(nautical) A boat used to convey guests to and from a yacht.

(nautical) An open boat of any size powered by steam, petrol, electricity, etc.

To throw, as a lance or dart; to hurl; to let fly.

To strike with, or as with, a lance; to pierce.

To cause to move or slide from the land into the water; to set afloat; as, to launch a ship.

To send out; to start (one) on a career; to set going; to give a start to (something); to put in operation; as, to launch a son in the world; to launch a business project or enterprise.

To move with force and swiftness like a sliding from the stocks into the water; to plunge; to make a beginning; as, to launch into the current of a stream; to launch into an argument or discussion; to launch into lavish expenditures; - often with out.

The act of launching.

The movement of a vessel from land into the water; especially, the sliding on ways from the stocks on which it is built.

The boat of the largest size belonging to a ship of war; also, an open boat of any size driven by steam, naphtha, electricity, or the like.

A motorboat with an open deck or a half deck

The act of propelling with force

Set up or found;

Propel with force;

Launch for the first time; launch on a maiden voyage;

Begin with vigor;

Get going; give impetus to;

Smoothen the surface of;