boatrace (pluralboat races)

1. A race betweenrowing crews.

   Coordinate term:regatta

   The Oxford and Cambridgeboat race is held on the Thames every year.

   • 2012, Andrew Martin,Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books,→ISBN, page60:

     TheDistrict went toPutney to take advantage ofBoat Race traffic, and it would capitalise on the shows and exhibitions held at Earl's Court and Olympia.

2. (Cockney rhyming slang) Theface.
3. (gambling,slang) Afixedhorse race, with a specific horse arranged to winin advance.
   • 1944,Damon Runyon, “A Story Goes With It”, inStories à la Carte:

     "Now," Herbie says, dropping his voice away down low, in case old Cap Duhaine may be around somewhere listening, "it is the third race, and the horse is a horse by the name of Never Despair. It is aboat race," Herbie says. "They are going to shoo in Never Despair. Everything else in the race is a cooler," he says.

4. (US,sports,slang) A contest in which one competitorboat-races the other(s)

boatrace (third-person singular simple presentboat races,present participleboat racing,simple past and past participleboat raced)

1. Alternative spelling ofboat-race

• “boat race”, inLexico,Dictionary.com;Oxford University Press,2019–2022.