WordGarden.iolugger
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /lˈʌɡə/
US
- /lˈʌɡər/
Meanings
Noun
a small sailing vessel rigged with one or more lugsails, often used for fishing or coastal work
Beyond the definition
A lugger is a small sailing vessel, most often linked with fishing and other coastal work. Picture a low, sturdy boat moving along the shore, its sails set in a practical way for hard daily use rather than show. Luggers were common in earlier centuries, especially around the coasts of Britain and France, and they were used for fishing, carrying goods, and sometimes smuggling. You might read a line like, "At dawn, the lugger slipped out of the harbor and headed for the open water."
Originally, a lugger was a particular kind of small sailing boat rigged with one or more lugsails. A lugsail is a four-sided sail hung from a yard at an angle, giving the boat a distinct old maritime look. Luggers were once common in European coastal waters, especially around Britain and France, where they served as working boats rather than pleasure craft.
These boats were valued because they were practical, swift, and well suited to coastal life. People used them for fishing, short trading trips, and, in some stories from the past, smuggling. When you see the word in writing today, it is usually in a historical or nautical setting. It often brings to mind busy harbors, rough weather, and crews making a living from the sea.
A sentence like, "The old lugger returned with its catch before sunset," shows the word in a natural way. Although the form of the word may make you think of the verb lug, lugger is mainly used as the name of this type of vessel, not as a common everyday word for a person who carries heavy things. So in most real use, a lugger is best understood as a small, traditional working sailboat.
Examples
- 1
Harbor scene
A small lugger was tied up beside the fish market.
- 2
Historic boat
The museum keeps a restored Cornish lugger in the old harbor.
- 3
Smuggling story
In the story, the smugglers waited for a lugger to come ashore after dark.
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- luggernoun