tugboat

noun — 2 senses

tugboat

noun

UK /ˈtʌɡbəʊt/ · US /ˈtʌɡboʊt/

Etymology From tug + boat. Sense 2 from monthly tugboat, a reference to the saying "our ship has come in," here referring to a small, "reliable" "tugboat" instead of a large windfall.

Nautical, Transport A small, powerful boat used to push or pull barges or to help maneuver larger vessels.

Internet, Euphemistic, Rare A Social Security Disability Insurance payment; monthly tugboat

Derived terms: monthly tugboat, tugboater, tugboatman

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.