n. 1. A large heavy boat, usually having two masts and carrying lugsails. 2. A small open boat fitted with oars or sails, or both, and used primarily in shallow waters. [Early Modern English, from French chaloppe, chaloupe, a kind of flat boat, shallop, from Middle French chaloppe, nutshell (from the shape of the boat's hull), from Old French eschalope : eschale, variant of escale, husk, shell; see skel-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + -oppe as in enveloppe, covering (from enveloper, to envelop; see ENVELOP).] |
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