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Meaning & use

a boat slip

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ə ˈbəʊt slɪp/
US/ə ˈboʊt slɪp/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A narrow space at a dock where one boat can be tied up.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a boat slip' or 'two boat slips'.

    Patterns

    • rent a boat slip
    • a boat slip at the marina

    The marina has twenty boat slips, but they are all taken in summer.

    He backed the boat carefully into the slip.

    We pay extra for a boat slip with water and electricity.

  2. nouncountabletechnical

    A sloping track used to move boats into or out of the water.

    Grammar: Also countable; often used in the plural 'boat slips' for a pair of tracks.

    Patterns

    • launch a boat from a slip
    • a concrete boat slip

    The old boat slip is too narrow for modern yachts.

    They repaired the wooden boat slip at the boatyard.

Word forms

pluralboat slips

Common combinations

rent a boat slip
We rent a boat slip at the harbor every summer.
a boat slip at the marina
She found a boat slip at the marina near her house.
a boat slip with power
The boat slip with power costs more per month.
back into a boat slip
It takes skill to back into a boat slip on a windy day.

Synonyms and how they differ

mooring
Used more in British English for the place where a boat is tied; it can also mean the ropes or anchor itself.
berth
A more general word for a space where a boat or ship stays, often at a larger port.

Word family

slipway noun
A ramp or track for moving boats into the water.

Commonly confused: a boat slip or slip?

a boat slip vs slip

On its own, 'slip' can mean a small mistake, a piece of paper, or women's underwear; 'boat slip' is only the dock or ramp.

Practice

The marina was full, so we couldn't find a boat slip ___ our new boat.

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