yacht

name

1. A type of dice game, similar to the Latin American game Generala.

noun

Etymology: Circa 1557; variant of yaught, earlier yeaghe (“light, fast-sailing ship”), from Dutch jacht (“yacht; hunt”), in older spelling jaght(e), short for jaghtschip (“light sailing vessel, fast pirate ship”, literally “pursuit ship”), compound of jacht and schip (“ship”). 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.

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.

   ““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, the jewelled animals whose moral code is the code of the barnyard—!"”

   “The megayacht concept is equipped with its own port with enough space for a second yacht measuring up to 30 meters, as well as three swimming pools. […] The market is projected to reach a value of $10.2 billion by 2025 as an increasing amount of yachts measuring longer than 24 meters are ordered, and designers are going all out to ensure their concepts are bigger and better than the competition.”

verb

Etymology: Circa 1557; variant of yaught, earlier yeaghe (“light, fast-sailing ship”), from Dutch jacht (“yacht; hunt”), in older spelling jaght(e), short for jaghtschip (“light sailing vessel, fast pirate ship”, literally “pursuit ship”), compound of jacht and schip (“ship”). 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.

1. To sail, voyage, or race in a yacht.