What does outrigger mean?
An outrigger is a projecting support, frame, or float attached to the side of a boat or other structure. Its purpose is to provide stability, prevent excessive rolling, or support equipment beyond the main body of a craft. Outriggers are especially associated with traditional canoes from Polynesia, Micronesia, and other Pacific regions, where a narrow hull is paired with one or more lateral floats connected by poles. The arrangement allows the canoe to remain stable while preserving the speed and maneuverability of its main hull. In modern boating, outriggers can support motors, fishing equipment, or other apparatus, while engineers may use projecting supports to stabilize temporary structures. The word therefore carries both a nautical association and a broader technical meaning: an external member that steadies or supports something.
nounA projecting support or framework fitted to the side of a boat, vehicle, or other structure to provide stability or support; also, a boat equipped with such a support, especially a traditional canoe with a lateral float.
- A projecting support or framework attached to a boat, vehicle, or structure to provide stability or support.
- A boat, especially a traditional canoe, fitted with a lateral stabilizing float or framework.
"The narrow canoe rode the swells, its outrigger cutting cleanly through the waves."
"The outrigger kept the canoe level in the choppy water."
"The engineers extended a temporary outrigger to stabilize the platform during the repair."
The standard plural is outriggers.
"The crew secured the outriggers before the boat entered the rough water."
That slender side float can transform a narrow canoe into a remarkably steady platform, helping it glide across the waves instead of rolling from side to side.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does outrigger come from?
The word was formed in English from out-, rig, and the suffix -er. Its development is connected with the sense of fitting or equipping a vessel with an external support. The nautical meaning became established in the 19th century, and the word later came to denote both the supporting framework and boats fitted with it.
How outrigger is actually used
The term is most common in nautical, engineering, and motorsport contexts. In motorsports, it can refer to a stabilizing arm or the small motor attached to a boat's outrigger. The word is neutral and technical rather than literary or informal.