What does schooner mean?
A schooner is a sailing vessel with two or more masts, distinguished from a square-rigged ship by the use of sails that run mainly along the length of the vessel. Historically, schooners were valued for their speed and maneuverability and served widely in coastal trade, fishing, transport, and competition. Although modern usage often refers specifically to traditional or restored vessels, the word also appears in the names of sailing ships and in sports such as schooner racing. Its name comes from Dutch, reflecting the seafaring traditions of northern Europe. Today, the term has a maritime and somewhat nostalgic character, conjuring wooden hulls, canvas sails, and open-water voyages rather than the machinery of modern commercial shipping.
nounA sailing vessel with two or more masts, rigged primarily with fore-and-aft sails rather than square sails. The term is also used more broadly for vessels of this kind in historical and sporting contexts.
- A sailing vessel with two or more masts, usually rigged with fore-and-aft sails.
"The two-masted schooner sailed across the bay while its crew adjusted the sails."
"The schooner was a dependable vessel for coastal trading in the nineteenth century."
"A restored wooden schooner took part in the annual regatta."
The plural is formed by adding -s.
"Several schooners were moored in the harbor."
A schooner’s name is a clue to its rigging: it usually carries fore-and-aft sails, the kind that can be trimmed to the wind rather than fixed square across a mast.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does schooner come from?
The English word entered use in the early nineteenth century, borrowed from Dutch schooner, the name for a fast, fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel. Dutch schooner is generally connected with schoon, an adjective meaning beautiful, fine, or clean, although the precise development of the vessel term is not entirely straightforward. The same Dutch root is reflected in related forms such as skoon and schoonheid.
Related word forms
How schooner is actually used
The term is chiefly maritime and historical, though it remains common in sailing and racing contexts. It is not normally used for modern small recreational sailing boats, which are more often called yachts.