packet-boat

English

Noun

packet-boat (plural packet-boats)

1. Alternative form of packet boat
   1. Government-commissioned mail ship.
      • 1810, Alexandre Olivier Exquemelin, The History of the Bucaniers of America, page 365:

        She proved to be a barco de aviso, or packet-boat, that was going with letters form Panama to Lima.

      • 1820, Great Britain. Parliament, The Parliamentary History of England from the Earliest Period to the year 1803:

        The chief consul complains that, during , a certain period, every packet-boat that passed from Dover to Calais, brought over a cargo of libels.

      • 2009, Francisco Palou, Francisco Palou's Life and Apostolic Labors of the Venerable Father Junipero Serra:

        From this port the ten destined for Monterey sailed on the packet-boat "San Antonio," on the 2d of January of the year 1771, and after fifty-two days of rather trying voyage, on account of many bad storms, they arrived without incident at the port of San Diego on the 12th of March.

   2. River or canal boat that carries mail.
      • 1852, William Cranch, Henry Wheaton, Reports of Cases Argued and Adjudged in the Supreme Court of the United States:

        The declaration contains ten counts, and in substance, they all and each of them charge, that Bromley, the defendant, was the captain of the packet-boat Empire, which regularly performed trips, at stated periods, between two places, from on to the other of which places the United States mail was regularly converyed, under the authority of the Post-Office Department, to wit, between Albion and Rochester;

      • 2009, John McDonald, Biographical Sketches of General Nathaniel Massie, page 85:

        Propelling the packet-boat up the stream was the most laborious and dangerous employment which can be imagined. The Indians were unceasing in their efforts to destory small parties of whites, as they were passing up or down the river Ohio. There were then but few places between Cincinnati and Wheeling, for the packet-boat to rest at night safely.

   3. Passenger boat.
      • 1839, Robert J. Vandewater, The Tourist, Or Pocket Manual for Travellers on the Hudson, page 80:

        A canal packet-boat leaves here daily at 9 o'clock for Whitehall, and runs through in about 22 hours.

      • 1994, Mary Johnston, Marjorie Spruill Wheeler, Hagar, page 8:

        The packet-boat came in sight, white and slow as a deliberate swan, drew reflectively down the shining reach of water, and sidled to the landing.

      • 2009, Alan Seaburg, Life on the Middlesex Canal, page 70:

        Her essay then refers to one of the best-known captains of any Middlesex Canal packet-boat — Silas Tyler.