fer·ry (fĕr'ē)

v., -ried, -ry·ing, -ries.

v.tr.

1. Nautical.
   1. To transport (people, vehicles, or goods) by boat across a body of water.
   2. To cross (a body of water) by a ferry.
2. 1. To deliver (a vehicle, especially an aircraft) under its own power to its eventual user.
   2. To transport (people or goods) by vehicle, especially by aircraft.

v.intr.
To cross a body of water on or as if on a ferry.

n., pl., -ries.

1. Nautical.
   1. A ferryboat.
   2. A place where passengers or goods are transported across a body of water, such as a river or bay, by a ferryboat.
2. A franchise or legal right to operate a ferrying service for a fee.
3. A service and route for delivering an aircraft under its own power to its eventual user.

[Middle English ferien, from Old English ferian.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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