ferried; ferrying
1
a
: to carry by boat over a body of water
b
: to cross by a ferry
2
a
: to convey (as by aircraft or motor vehicle) from one place to another : transport
b
: to fly (an airplane) from the factory or other shipping point to a designated delivery point or from one base to another
: to cross water in a boat
plural ferries
1
: a place where persons or things are carried across a body of water (such as a river) in a boat
2
3
: a franchise or right to operate a ferry service across a body of water
4
: an organized service and route for flying airplanes especially across a sea or continent for delivery to the user
Synonyms
Examples of ferry in a Sentence
Verb
The cars were ferried across the river.
They ferry supplies to the island.
Noun
Ferries to both islands depart daily.
You can get there by ferry.
We'll meet you at the ferry.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
The findings shed light on commercial trade in the Roman era, when an array of materials were ferried throughout the Mediterranean via boat.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
In 1999, for example, a taxi ferrying two jewelers was forced to stop on the 110 Freeway’s transition to the westbound 105 Freeway by gun-wielding men who stole two suitcases filled with pearl necklaces worth $600,000, The Times reported.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Boracay is accessible by plane or ferry from the cities of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
—Steven Casale, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024
The Rhone, which ferries glacial meltwater down from the mountains, swelled with the excess precipitation.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
And using a cousin’s SUV with four-wheel drive, Manuel ferried me and, on one day, his family to other swimming holes.
—Mya Guarnieri, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024
The program’s end forced the space agency to turn to Russia, which — as tensions eased in the post-Cold War era — was a primary US partner on the space station and had a reliable vehicle called Soyuz to ferry its cosmonauts to the orbiting outpost.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
The vast majority of the rockets, however, are ferrying satellites into orbit to support SpaceX’s private Starlink network, which provides internet services.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2024
The ferry can carry 15 cars, and a crossing takes about seven minutes.
—Steven Martinez, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024
Manatee County wants another ferry Restaurateur Ed Chiles congratulated Falcione for his leadership in making the water taxi possible.
—James A. Jones Jr., Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
Others, like Global Marine’s Wave Sentinel, were once ferries.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 16 Apr. 2024
Book Auberge du Soleil Book Four Seasons Napa Valley
Experience New England Charm in Nantucket
Nowhere embodies New England charm quite like Nantucket—an island that is accessible by flight or ferry, thirty miles off the coast of Cape Cod.
—Amy Louise Bailey, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
Riding a bike to work can also be part of a commute that also includes either a bus, a trolley, a ferry or walking.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024
Eight ferries a day take Taiwanese businesspeople and visitors from Kinmen to mainland China.
—Amy Chang Chien, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024
First announced in 2017, Port Ellen’s rebirth was delayed by over three years by a combination of Covid-19, post-Brexit problems with the cost and supply of building materials and a shortage of ferry capacity.
—Angus MacKinnon, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
Verb
Army landing ships, capable of carrying as many as 15 trucks, will ferry the aid from the floating pier to an 1,800-foot causeway that will be built to Gaza’s shore.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
The findings shed light on commercial trade in the Roman era, when an array of materials were ferried throughout the Mediterranean via boat.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
In 1999, for example, a taxi ferrying two jewelers was forced to stop on the 110 Freeway’s transition to the westbound 105 Freeway by gun-wielding men who stole two suitcases filled with pearl necklaces worth $600,000, The Times reported.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Boracay is accessible by plane or ferry from the cities of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
—Steven Casale, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024
The Rhone, which ferries glacial meltwater down from the mountains, swelled with the excess precipitation.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
And using a cousin’s SUV with four-wheel drive, Manuel ferried me and, on one day, his family to other swimming holes.
—Mya Guarnieri, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024
The program’s end forced the space agency to turn to Russia, which — as tensions eased in the post-Cold War era — was a primary US partner on the space station and had a reliable vehicle called Soyuz to ferry its cosmonauts to the orbiting outpost.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
The vast majority of the rockets, however, are ferrying satellites into orbit to support SpaceX’s private Starlink network, which provides internet services.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Noun
Travelers can hop aboard a ferry from Piraeus Port in Athens to Heraklion or Chania, but the ride can take between nine and 10 hours.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2024
The ferry can carry 15 cars, and a crossing takes about seven minutes.
—Steven Martinez, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024
Manatee County wants another ferry Restaurateur Ed Chiles congratulated Falcione for his leadership in making the water taxi possible.
—James A. Jones Jr., Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
Others, like Global Marine’s Wave Sentinel, were once ferries.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 16 Apr. 2024
Book Auberge du Soleil Book Four Seasons Napa Valley
Experience New England Charm in Nantucket
Nowhere embodies New England charm quite like Nantucket—an island that is accessible by flight or ferry, thirty miles off the coast of Cape Cod.
—Amy Louise Bailey, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
Riding a bike to work can also be part of a commute that also includes either a bus, a trolley, a ferry or walking.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024
Eight ferries a day take Taiwanese businesspeople and visitors from Kinmen to mainland China.
—Amy Chang Chien, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024
First announced in 2017, Port Ellen’s rebirth was delayed by over three years by a combination of Covid-19, post-Brexit problems with the cost and supply of building materials and a shortage of ferry capacity.
—Angus MacKinnon, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ferry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ferry
Cite this Entry
“Ferry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ferry. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ferry
1 of 2 verb
fer·ry
ˈfer-ē 
ferried; ferrying
1
a
: to carry by boat over a body of water
b
: to cross by a ferry
2
a
: to carry (as by aircraft or motor vehicle) from one place to another
b
: to deliver (an airplane) by flying it to its destination
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share