I. pän.ˈtün noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: French ponton floating bridge, punt, from Latin ponton-, ponto, from pont-, pons bridge — more at find
1. : a flat-bottomed boat ; especially : a low flat vessel resembling a barge, bearing cranes, capstans, and other machinery, and used in careening ships, raising weights, drawing piles, and in other similar operations
2. : a wooden flat-bottomed boat or other usually portable float (as a metallic cylinder or frame covered with waterproof material) used especially by an army in making temporary bridges
3. : a float of an airplane
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to bridge or cross by a pontoon bridge or with pontoons
• pon·toon·er -nə(r) noun -s
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably alteration of vingt-et-un
Britain : twentyone