# tugboat

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtʌɡbəʊt/ · frequency rank #51,464

## Definitions
1. A small, powerful boat used to push or pull barges or to help maneuver larger vessels.
2. A Social Security Disability Insurance payment; monthly tugboat

## Etymology
From tug + boat.
Sense 2 from monthly tugboat, a reference to the saying "our ship has come in," here referring to a small, "reliable" "tugboat" instead of a large windfall.

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