Definition of pinnace Pinnace

pin•nace

We found 10 definitions of pinnace from 7 different sources.

What does pinnace mean?

Noun
pinnace - a boat for communication between ship and shore
		tender, ship's boat, cutter
		boat a small vessel for travel on water

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pinnace (Noun)
A light boat, traditionally propelled by sails, but may also be a rowboat. Pinnaces are usually messenger boats, carrying messages among the larger ships of a fleet.

pinnace (n.)
A small vessel propelled by sails or oars, formerly employed as a tender, or for coast defence; -- called originally, spynace or spyne.
pinnace (n.)
A man-of-war's boat.
pinnace (n.)
A procuress; a pimp.

pinnace
pin′ās, n. a small vessel with oars and sails: a boat with eight oars: a man-of-war's boat. [Fr. pinasse—It. pinassa—L. pinus, a pine.]

pinnace
a small vessel, navigated with oars and sails, and having generally two masts, which are rigged like those of a schooner.
pinnace
is also a boat, usually rowed with eight oars. See the article

pinnace
A small vessel propelled with oars and sails, of two, and even three masts, schooner-rigged. In size, as a ship's boat, smaller than the barge, and, like it, carvel-built. The armed pinnace of the French coasts was of 60 or 80 tons burden, carrying one long 24-pounder and 100 men. In Henry VI. Shakspeare makes the pinnace an independent vessel, though Falstaff uses it as a small vessel attending on a larger. Also, metaphorically, an indifferent character.