ferry

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A boat that regularly carries people, vehicles, and goods across water.

   We took the ferry across the river to the island.

2. 2
   verb

   To carry people or things from one place to another, usually repeatedly.

   A bus ferries guests between the hotel and the airport.

3. 3
   noun

   A regular boat service across water, or the place where it operates.

   There used to be a ferry at this point on the river.

The verb is from Middle English ferien (“to carry, convey”), from Old English ferian, from Proto-West Germanic *farjan, from Proto-Germanic *farjaną, which see for cognates. This verb is the causative of Proto-Germanic *faraną (“to go, travel”), whence English fare; ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *per-. The noun is from Middle English ferie (“place of crossing, ferry”), which was derived from the above verb under influence of Old Norse ferja, from Proto-Germanic *farjǭ, itself also from the verb. False cognate of Latin ferō.

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