cattle boat

• Terme historique désignant un navire utilisé pour transporter du bétail, en particulier des bovins, souvent dans des conditions surpeuplées et mauvaises. Au sens figuré, il peut désigner tout moyen de transport exigu et inconfortable, ou métaphoriquement une situation où les personnes sont traitées comme du bétail.

A historical term for a ship used to transport livestock, especially cattle, often under crowded and poor conditions. By extension, it can refer to any cramped, uncomfortable mode of transport, or metaphorically to a situation where people are treated like cargo.

1. Ship for transporting livestockB2formal

   A ship designed or used primarily for transporting cattle or other livestock.

   navire à bestiaux

   • The cattle boat was loaded with hundreds of cows for the journey.
   • Historically, cattle boats were common for moving animals between continents.
   • The crew on the cattle boat had to ensure the animals were fed and watered.

2. Slang for an uncomfortable shipC1slang

   A derogatory term for a ship that is crowded, uncomfortable, or poorly maintained, often used by sailors.

   Bateau poulailler

   • The old freighter was a real cattle boat; no one wanted to sail on it.
   • After the luxury cruise, the cargo ship felt like a cattle boat.
   • The sailors complained that the vessel was nothing but a cattle boat.