pontoon meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

pontoon

noun

/pɒnˈtuːn/

Etymology Borrowed from Middle French ponton, from Old French ponton, from Latin pontō, pontōnem (“ferryboat”), from pōns (“bridge”).

A flat-bottomed boat or other floating structure used as a buoyant support for a temporary bridge, dock or landing stage.

Thanks to the previous experience of the chief performers, to careful preparation and rehearsal, and to perfect weather conditions, they watched in breath-bated silence the spectacle of the huge bulk moving without a hitch into position over the temporary pier caps on which it settled as water ballast was admitted to the pontoons.1959 May 23, L. T. C. Rolt, “Centenary of the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash”, in Railway Magazine, page 310:

Broadly A bridge with floating supports.

A box used to raise a sunken vessel.

A float of a seaplane.

A lighter or barge used for loading or unloading ships.

noun

Etymology Probably from vingt-un, an obsolete variant of vingt-et-un (“twenty-one”), from French.

Card games, Games A card game in which the object is to obtain cards whose value adds up to, or nearly to, 21 but not exceed it.