On board

in or on (a ship or public vehicle)

e.g. (go/ get) on board the train/ aircraft/ ship; As soon as I’m on board I always feel sick.

▪Cf.: aboard, adv, prp

on or into (a ship, train, bus, aircraft, etc.)

e.g. The boat is ready to leave. All aboard! The plane crashed killing all the 200 people aboard.

overboard, adv

over the side of the ship or boat into the water

e.g. fall/ jump overboard

Usage: At the beginning of your journey you get in(to) a very small boat but with a bigger boat you get on(to) it, go on board or (fml) embark. At the end of your voyage, you get out of a very small boat, but with a larger boat you get off it or (fml) disembark. You get on or board a plane and get off it. You get into/ board a train and you get off it, get out of it, or (fml) alight from it. You get into a car and get out of it.

boat, n

1. a small open vehicle for travelling across water

e.g. a fishing/ sailing/ rowing boat; We’ll cross the river by/ in a boat. We had to take to the boats (= get into the ship’s lifeboats) because the ship was sinking.

2. (infml) any ship

e.g. Are you going to America by boat or by air?

Usage: Boats are usu. smaller than ships but the word can be used informally of a larger passenger ship (e.g. There were over 2000 passengers on the ship/ boat.).

When you are in control of a boat, you row a rowing boat, sail a sailing boat, and sail or pilot other kinds of boats. When you direct the course of a boat you steer or pilot it. As a passenger, you travel by boat, or on a particular boat

car, n

1. (also motorcar BrE fml, automobile AmE fml) a road vehicle with usu. four wheels which is driven by a motor and used as a means of travel for a small number of people.

Usage: When you are in control of a car you drive it, and when you direct its course you steer it (e.g. She got into her car and drove (it) home. She steered (the car) carefully through the narrow gap.). As a passenger, you travel by car or ride in a particular car.

2. (esp. in comb.) railway carriage

e.g. This train has a restaurant/ dining/ sleeping car.

carriage, n

1. a wheeled vehicle, esp. a private horse-drawn one

2. (car AmE) a railway passenger vehicle

e.g. I’ll be in the third carriage from the front of the train.

coach, n

1. (bus AmE) a comfortable bus used for long-distance travel or touring

e.g. We went to Switzerland by coach. This hotel welcomes coach parties (= groups of people travelling in coaches).

2. (also carriage BrE, car AmE) a railway passenger carriage

deck, n

a floor built across a ship all or part of its length

e.g. Let’s go up on deck and sit in the sunshine. Our cabin is on the lower deck.

deckchair, n (also beach chair AmE)

a folding chair with a long seat of cloth (usu. brightly coloured canvas), used out of doors

e.g. sitting on deckchairs on the beach

deckhand, n

a man or boy who does unskilled work on a ship

drive, v

1. move or travel in (a vehicle with more than two wheels) while guiding and controlling it

e.g. drive a car/ train/ bus; Shall we stop for lunch or shall we drive on?

2. take (sb) in a vehicle

e.g. Can you drive me to the station?

Usage: If you are in control of a car you drive it, if you are in control of a ship you pilot it, if you are in control of a bicycle you ride it. If you direct the course of a car, ship, or bicycle you steer it. But when talking about a plane, fly and pilot mean both being in control of it and directing its course (e.g. to fly/ pilot an airplane).

▪Cf.: ride, v

1. travel along, controlling and sitting on (a horse or other animal, a bicycle or motorcycle)

e.g. I’ll ride the old horse and you ride the pony. He got on his bicycle and slowly rode off down the road.

2. (in, on) be carried along on an animal, on or in a vehicle, etc.; travel

e.g. riding on a camel; riding in an open carriage

3. (esp. AmE) travel in, esp. habitually

e.g. riding the freight trains

4. (of a vehicle) travel over a surface in a stated manner

e.g. This car rides smoothly.

ride, n

a journey on a n animal, in a vehicle, etc.

e.g. a ride on a donkey; Shall we go for a ride in the car?

fare, n

1. money charged for a journey by bus, ship, taxi, etc.

e.g. to pay one’s train fare; The bus company will prosecute any fare dodgers (= people who try to avoid paying their fares) it catches.

2. passenger in a hired vehicle

e.g. The taxi-driver had only 6 fares all day.

flash, v

move quickly

e.g. The train flashed past me.

go off, v

leave suddenly

e.g. The painter left his family and went off to live on a tropical island. Are you all ready? Off we go, then!

Syn.: go away, start off, set off, set out, get off, take off

e.g. The children were always excited to set off on a camping trip. We have to get off on our journey now.

highway, n

(esp. AmE) a broad main road used esp. by traffic going in both directions, and often leading from one town to another

▪Cf.: motorway, n (expressway, freeway AmE)

a very wide road built for fast long-distance travel

e.g. The M1 is one of the longest motorways in Britain.