noun
small boat; boat
Formal or literary term for a small boat. Not used in everyday conversation; more common in written descriptions or nautical contexts.
港には数隻の端艇が停泊していた。
Several small boats were anchored in the harbor.
ボート is the common, everyday word for a small boat, while 端艇 is a formal or literary term.
The kanji 端 (edge, tip) and 艇 (boat) combine to mean a small boat, likely a Sino-Japanese compound. The alternate form 短艇 uses 短 (short) to emphasize small size.