# barge

> English word · Noun · IPA /bɑːd͡ʒ/ · frequency rank #14,893

## Definitions
1. A large flat-bottomed towed or self-propelled boat used mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods or bulk cargo.
2. A richly decorated ceremonial state vessel propelled by rowers for river processions.
3. A large flat-bottomed coastal trading vessel having a large spritsail and jib-headed topsail, a fore staysail and a very small mizen, and having leeboards instead of a keel.
4. One of the boats of a warship having fourteen oars
5. The wooden disk in which bread or biscuit is placed on a mess table.
6. A double-decked passenger or freight vessel, towed by a steamboat.
7. A large bus used for excursions.

## Etymology
From Middle English barge, borrowed from Old French barge (“boat”), from Vulgar Latin *barga, a variant of Late Latin barca, a regular syncope of Vulgar Latin *barica, from Classical Latin bāris, from Ancient Greek βᾶρις (bâris, “Egyptian boat”), from Coptic ⲃⲁⲁⲣⲉ (baare, “small boat”), from Demotic Egyptian br, from Egyptian bꜣjrb-bA-A-y:r*Z1-P1 (“transport ship”). Doublet of bark, barque and baris.

## Easily confused with
- **base** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-base)
- **bars** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-bars)
- **barn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-barn)
- **bore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-bore)
- **bark** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-bark)
- **Bart** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-bart)
- **barr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-barr)
- **berg** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-berg)
- **borg** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-borg)
- **bree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-bree)
- **brie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-brie)
- **bari** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-bari)
- **Burg** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-burg)
- **bate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-bate)
- **Barry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-barry)
- **baron** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-baron)
- **burke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-burke)
- **borne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-borne)
- **binge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-binge)
- **Byrne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barge-vs-byrne)

## Common misspellings (7)
`abrge`, `bagre`, `bareg`, `bargge`, `barrge`, `bbarge`, `brage`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/barge