catamaran

catamaran

1. a sailing, or sometimes motored, vessel with twin hulls held parallel by a rigid framework

2. a primitive raft made of logs lashed together

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

catamaran

[¦kad·ə·mə¦ran]

(naval architecture)

A sailing or powered boat having two rather slender hulls joined by a deck or other structure.

A rectangular raft resting on two parallel cylindrical floats.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Catamaran

 

(from Tamil kattumaram, literally “logs bound together”).

(1) A raft for short trips and fishing among peoples along the Asiatic coast of the Indian Ocean and neighboring islands, propelled by paddles or sail. Similar rafts were used by the native inhabitants of the islands of the Pacific Ocean and South America. The term “catamaran” also referred to a small paddle boat or sailing vessel consisting of several logs, hollowed out and pointed on both ends, interconnected by cross bars.

(2) A modern twin-hulled vessel (with two parallel hulls connected on the top side by trusses or a continuous deck) or single-hulled sailing vessel with one or two outlying balance floats on the side. It is exceptionally swift and stable. There are various kinds of catamarans: for sea and river fishing, carrying passengers and cargo, towing and rescue work, sports and tourism, and scientific research.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.