What does proa mean?
A proa is a traditional Pacific Island sailing vessel, recognized for its narrow hull and outrigger, a stabilizing float attached to one side. These boats were used for travel, fishing, communication, and warfare across parts of Micronesia and Polynesia. Their design varied considerably by island and community: some had a single hull, while others used two hulls connected by crossbeams. The outrigger improved balance and allowed the main hull to move rapidly over the water, making proas notable for their speed. Today, the word appears most often in historical, maritime, anthropological, and museum contexts, rather than in everyday speech. It should not be confused with “prow,” which means the forward section of a ship.
nounA fast, narrow sailing vessel with an outrigger, traditionally used in the Pacific Islands. A proa is generally built from timber and may have a single or double hull, depending on the local tradition.
- A narrow, fast, outrigger sailing vessel used in the Pacific Islands.
"The crew set sail in a proa, its outrigger cutting cleanly through the waves."
"Visitors watched the navigators prepare their proa for the voyage across the lagoon."
"The museum displays a model of a proa with its slender hull and bamboo outrigger."
The regular plural is “proas,” with the pronounced s.
"Several proas were moored beside the reef as their crews prepared to depart."
The proa was one of the Pacific's remarkable speed machines, using a light, narrow hull and outrigger to slice through the open sea.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does proa come from?
The English word comes through Portuguese “proa,” which was borrowed from a Malay or Austronesian term for a boat, commonly represented as “perahu” or “prahu.” The Malay and Indonesian forms preserve the broader Austronesian tradition of languages in which words for boats and related nautical objects often have recognizable cognates. European written forms include “proa” and the variant “prau.”
How proa is actually used
The term is chiefly used in historical, nautical, and anthropological writing about Pacific Island seafaring. It is uncommon in modern general English.
Easily confused with proa
A proa is a traditional Pacific sailing vessel, whereas a prow is the forward part of a boat or ship.