The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Boat \Boat\ (b[=o]t), n. [OE. boot, bat, AS. b[=a]t; akin to
   Icel. b[=a]tr, Sw. b[*a]t, Dan. baad, D. & G. boot. Cf.
   Bateau.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. A small open vessel, or water craft, usually moved by cars
      or paddles, but often by a sail.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: Different kinds of boats have different names; as,
         canoe, yawl, wherry, pinnace, punt, etc.
         [1913 Webster]

   2. Hence, any vessel; usually with some epithet descriptive
      of its use or mode of propulsion; as, pilot boat, packet
      boat, passage boat, advice boat, etc. The term is
      sometimes applied to steam vessels, even of the largest
      class; as, the Cunard boats.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A vehicle, utensil, or dish, somewhat resembling a boat in
      shape; as, a stone boat; a gravy boat.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: Boat is much used either adjectively or in combination;
         as, boat builder or boatbuilder; boat building or
         boatbuilding; boat hook or boathook; boathouse; boat
         keeper or boatkeeper; boat load; boat race; boat
         racing; boat rowing; boat song; boatlike; boat-shaped.
         [1913 Webster]

   Advice boat. See under Advice.

   Boat hook (Naut.), an iron hook with a point on the back,
      fixed to a long pole, to pull or push a boat, raft, log,
      etc. --Totten.

   Boat rope, a rope for fastening a boat; -- usually called a
      painter.

   In the same boat, in the same situation or predicament.
      [Colloq.] --F. W. Newman.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

boat hook
    n 1: pole-handled hook used to pull or push boats