Etymology Map
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Sloop

2 stages from Dutch to English.

Today it means a one-masted sailing boat

Where does the word "sloop" come from? It comes from Dutch sloep, adopted directly into English (1620s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
sloep
Dutch · 1600s
"small boat"
possibly from 'sluipen', to glide or sneak
2
Stage 2 of 2
sloop
English · 1620s
"a one-masted sailing boat"
later a small single-masted sailing boat or small warship
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Sloop’s story begins in Dutch: sloep meant “small boat.” Possibly from 'sluipen', to glide or sneak. It reached English by 1620s as sloop. Later a small single-masted sailing boat or small warship. Today, sloop means a one-masted sailing boat.