noun
boatload
BOHT-lohd
noun
1
The amount of cargo or number of passengers a boat can carry.
"A boatload of tourists arrived at the harbor."
2
Informally, a very large amount of something.
"He made a boatload of money on that deal."
How to Use Boatload
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLiterally what a boat can carry, or informally, a huge amount of anything.
Common pairings
a boatload of money
a boatload of trouble
Word Forms
boatloads plural
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A _____ of tourists arrived at the harbor.
Etymology
From boat plus load; the informal "large amount" sense grew out of the literal one.