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A scow is a kind of boat. Technically, it is a flat bottomed boat with a blunt bow, often used to haul bulk freight. A barge is a kind of scow.

Because of the association with bulk freight and the fact that they may be poorly maintained because of their low value cargo, the word "scow" has come to be used as a negative. So a boat might be called a "scow" or a "garbage scow" not because it is a scow or carries garbage, but because this is a way of saying it is run down and in poor repair, not something to be proud of.

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14y ago

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