regatta









regatta


noun

  1. a boat race, as of rowboats, yachts, or other vessels.
  2. an organized series of such races.
  3. (originally) a gondola race in Venice.
  4. a strong, striped cotton fabric that is of twill weave.

noun

  1. an organized series of races of yachts, rowing boats, etc
n.

1650s, name of a boat race among gondoliers held on the Grand Canal in Venice, from Italian (Venetian dialect) regatta, literally “contention for mastery,” from rigattare “to compete, haggle, sell at retail.” [Klein’s sources, however, suggest a source in Italian riga “row, rank,” from a Germanic source and related to English row (v.).] The general meaning of “boat race, yacht race” is usually considered to have begun with a race on the Thames by that name June 23, 1775 (cf. OED), but there is evidence that it was used as early as 1768.

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