towboat

[toh-boht] /ˈtoʊˌboʊt/

noun

a diesel-powered or steam-powered boat used especially on inland waterways to push groups of barges lashed to it in front or on one side or both.

Origin

1805-15; tow¹ + boat

Examples from the web for towboat

The speed of a ship, towboat or tugboat can be deceptive.
Stay away from the turbulent waters behind a towboat created by the propellers.
When the towboat arrives on scene, they will retrieve the buoy and line, secure it to their tow gear and commence towing.
One former towboat captain said he'd seen the water level drop as much as a foot as water is pulled into the props.
The inside of the superstructure of the towboat was almost completely burned.
The showboat and towboat combination became the general model for all later showboats.

British Dictionary definitions for towboat

/ˈtəʊˌbəʊt/

noun

another word for tug (sense 5)