A small boat used to carry goods or passengers between a larger ship and the shore, especially in a harbor.
In the harbor, lighters were carrying cargo.
They transfer the cargo from the large ship to a lighter.
Kanji form is uncommon and may be unfamiliar; prefer kana spelling.
The origin is uncertain; it may be related to 端 (はし, 'edge, side') and 船 (ふね, 'boat'), but the exact derivation is unclear.