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Punt vs Ferry - What's the difference?

punt | ferry |

As nouns the difference between punt and ferry

is that punt is a pontoon; a narrow shallow boat propelled by a pole while ferry is a ship used to transport people, smaller vehicles and goods from one port to another, usually on a regular schedule.

As verbs the difference between punt and ferry

is that punt is to propel a punt or similar craft by means of a pole while ferry is to carry; transport; convey.

punt

English

Etymology 1

(etyl), probably from (etyl)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (nautical) A pontoon; a narrow shallow boat propelled by a pole.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (nautical) To propel a punt or similar craft by means of a pole.
  • Etymology 2

    Possibly a dialectal variant of (bunt); Rugby is the origin of the sports usage of the term.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (rugby, American football, Australian Rules football, Gaelic football, soccer) to kick a ball dropped from the hands before it hits the ground. This puts the ball farther from the goal across which the opposing team is attempting to score, so improves the chances of the team punting.
  • * As a colloquialism, 'So I punted' means the speaker chose the best alternative among a menu of non-ideal choices.
  • (soccer) To kick a bouncing ball far and high.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=September 2 , author= , title=Wales 2-1 Montenegro , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=With five minutes remaining Hennessey was down well to block another Vukcevic shot, while Gunter was smartly in to punt away the dangerous loose ball.}}
  • To retreat from one's objective.
  • * {{quote-book
  • , year=ca. 2002 , author=Ben Collins-Sussman, Brian W. Fitzpatrick and C. Michael Pilato , title=Version Control with Subversion , chapter=Basic Work Cycle citation , passage=Punting : Using svn revert¶ If you decide that you want to throw out your changes and start your edits again (whether this occurs after a conflict or anytime), just revert your changes}}
    Derived terms
    * drop punt * punt returner * punter * torpedo punt

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (rugby, American football, soccer) A kick made by a player who drops the ball and kicks it before it hits the ground. Contrast drop kick.
  • Etymology 3

    From (etyl) ponte or (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A point in the game of faro.
  • The act of playing at basset, baccara, faro, etc.
  • A bet or wager.
  • An indentation in the base of a wine bottle.
  • (glassblowing) A thin glass rod which is temporarily attached to a larger piece in order to better manipulate the larger piece.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (British, chiefly, Ireland) To stake against the bank, to back a horse, to gamble or take a chance more generally
  • * Thackeray
  • She heard of his punting at gaming tables.
  • * {{quote-book
  • , year=2004 , author=John Buglear , title=Quantitative methods for business: the A-Z of QM , chapter=Is it worth the risk? – introducing probability citation , isbn=9780750658980 , page=339 , passage=Whether you want to gamble on a horse race, bet on which player will score first in a game of football, have a punt on a particular tennis player winning a grand slam event, you are buying a chance, a chance which is measured in terms of probability, ‘the odds’.}}
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2006 , date=June 23 , author=Dan Roebuck , title=Eriksson's men still worth a punt , work=The Guardian citation , passage=Eriksson's men still worth a punt }}
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2009 , date=November 3 , author=Sarah Collerton , title=Cup punt not child's play , work=ABC News citation , passage=Australians have a reputation for being keen to bet on two flies climbing up a wall and today young ones often take a casual classroom punt }}
  • (figuratively) To make a highly speculative investment or other commitment, or take a wild guess.
  • Etymology 4

    From (etyl) punt, from (etyl) pund.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The Irish pound, used as the unit of currency of Ireland until it was replaced by the euro in 2002.
  • ----

    ferry

    English

    Noun

    (ferries)
  • A ship used to transport people, smaller vehicles and goods from one port to another, usually on a regular schedule.
  • A place where passengers are transported across water in such a ship.
  • * Milton
  • It can pass the ferry backward into light.
  • * Campbell
  • to row me o'er the ferry
  • * around 1900 , O. Henry,
  • She walked into the waiting-room of the ferry , and up the stairs, and by a marvellous swift, little run, caught the ferry-boat that was just going out.
  • The legal right or franchise that entitles a corporate body or an individual to operate such a service.
  • Derived terms

    * ferry bridge * ferry railway

    Descendants

    * French: (l) * Malay: (l) * Swahili: (l)

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To carry; transport; convey.
  • * 2007 , Rick Bass, The Lives of Rocks :
  • We ferried our stock in U-Haul trailers, and across the months, as we purchased more cowflesh from the Goat Man — meat vanishing into the ether again and again, as if into some quarkish void — we became familiar enough with Sloat and his daughter to learn that her name was Flozelle, and to visit with them about matters other than stock.
  • To move someone or something from one place to another, usually repeatedly.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-01, volume=407, issue=8838
  • , page=13 (Technology Quarterly), magazine=(The Economist) , title= Ideas coming down the track , passage=A “moving platform” scheme
  • To carry or transport over a contracted body of water, as a river or strait, in a boat or other floating conveyance plying between opposite shores.
  • To pass over water in a boat or by ferry.
  • * Milton
  • They ferry over this Lethean sound / Both to and fro.

    See also

    * boat * ship

    Anagrams

    * ----