sam·pan

(săm′păn′)

A flatbottom Asian skiff usually propelled by two oars.

[Cantonese saam¹ baan² (akin to Mandarin sābǎn), from Middle Chinese sam pa⋮n´ : sam, three (ultimately from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *sum; akin to Tibetan gsum and Burmese sûm) + pa⋮n´, board (since the hulls of sampans were originally constructed from three planks of wood, two for the sides and one for the bottom); see teppanyaki.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

sampan

(ˈsæmpæn)

(Nautical Terms) any small skiff, widely used in the Orient, that is propelled by oars or a scull

[C17: from Chinese san pan, from san three + pan board]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sam•pan

(ˈsæm pæn)

n.

any of various small boats of the Far East, as one propelled by a single scull over the stern and provided with a roofing of mats.

[1610–20; < dial. Chinese (Guangdong) sàambáan; compare Chinese sānbǎn literally, three-plank (boat)]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

sampan - an Asian skiff usually propelled by two oars

skiff - any of various small boats propelled by oars or by sails or by a motor

Translations

قارِب صَغير بِشِراع من القَش

sampan

Sampan

sampán

sampan

szampan

kínversk flatbytna

sampan

sampanas

ķīniešu laiva

sampan

sampan

Çin kayığı

舢舨

sampan

[ˈsæmpæn] N → sampán m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

sampan

n → Sampan m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

sampan

(ˈsӕmpӕn) noun

a small flat-bottomed Chinese boat.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

We would get a sampan, and a couple of Japanese fishermen who knew the fishing grounds, and we would have great sport.

We never went fishing in the sampan. And though we were there ten days, we never trod that wild path along the lava cliffs and among the flowers.

Aborigines, in queer outrigger canoes, and Japanese, in queerer sampans, paddled about the bay and came aboard.

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The juragan of the boat said sulkily, "We will cook in the sampan, and sleep on the water."

The fire in the bows of the sampan shone faintly in the distance with a hazy red glow.

A shout came faintly over the lagoon and the sampan began to glide towards the abode of the friend of ghosts.

Before the sampan passed out of the lagoon into the creek he lifted his eyes.

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Then he resumed his watch for the friendly prahu, or smaller sampan which he knew time would eventually bring from up or down the river to his rescue, for who of the surrounding natives would dare refuse succor to the powerful Rajah of Sakkan!

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An' as he was a-gettin' under way, didn't the fond husbands get left astern-like in their sampan, as it might be by accident?

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Twenty-five bags of rice would be coming off in a sampan directly, for stores.

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The closest thing might be to take dinner a la Chinese on a sampan in the Causeway Bay Typhoon Harbor.

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