pontoon means A flat-bottomed boat or other floating structure used as a buoyant support for a temporary bridge, dock or landing stage. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
pontoon is pronounced /pɒnˈtuːn/.
noun
- 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.”
- A bridge with floating supports.
- A box used to raise a sunken vessel.“Near-synonyms: caisson, camel, sea camel”
- A float of a seaplane.
- A lighter or barge used for loading or unloading ships.
- A card game in which the object is to obtain cards whose value adds up to, or nearly to, 21 but not exceed it.