n. A boxy, flat-bottomed boat used for carrying livestock, freight, and people on rivers.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. A boat with a flat bottom and square ends; -- used for the transportation of bulky freight, especially in shallow waters.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A flat-bottomed boat of considerable size, roughly made of strong timbers, for floating merchandise, etc., down the Mississippi and other western rivers.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. a flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals)
Word Usage
"I recalled the flatboat captain's warning that Old Thares would smell far worse than the timber fires had."