Ferry

A large ferry in Finland.

A ferry is a ship or boat that is used to take people, vehicles or goods across water. Ferries are used across seas, lakes and rivers. Some places in the world can only be reached by ferry, because they have no roads or railways, nor any airports at which to land aeroplanes.

Sometimes the trip in a ferry is free, and sometimes it must be paid for.

The word 'ferry' can also mean 'to take someone or something by ferry'.

The Herald of Free Enterprise disaster, in which 193 people died near Zeebrugge in 1987, was one of the worst ferry accidents of recent times. It was caused by a crew member forgetting to close the bow doors of the ferry.