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🇮🇹Italian Source WordCode: IT

sampan

Pronunciation / Transliteration: samˈpan

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Sampan/ˈsæm.pæn/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14500 frequency
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🇮🇹 Example Sentence in Italian:

"I pescatori usavano il sampan per muoversi nella laguna."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A small flat-bottomed wooden boat used in China and other parts of East Asia, typically propelled by a single oar at the stern.

    "Fishermen navigated their sampans carefully through the crowded harbor."
  2. 2

    Any small boat resembling an East Asian sampan, often used for coastal or river transport.

    "Tourists hired a local sampan to explore the floating markets."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Synonyms (3)
Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Cantonese Chinese term 'sāam-báan' (三板), literally meaning 'three boards', referring to the three planks used to construct the hull of these flat-bottomed boats. The word entered English in the early 17th century through trade and maritime interactions in East Asia.

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