regatta

R1E1G2A1T1T1A1
/ɹɪˈɡætə//ɹɪˈɡɑtə/

noun

A series of boat races, or sometimes a single race.

Meanings

nounregatta (countable and uncountable, plural regattas or regatte)

plural regattas · plural regatte

  1. countableA series of boat races, or sometimes a single race.

    […] many people living along the harbour front had boathouses and boats of their own, for regattas and water sports were one of Victoria's chief attractions.

    1942, Emily Carr, “Regatta”, in The Book of Small, Toronto, Ont.: Oxford University Press, →OCLC
    1 more example

    The novice eights race demonstrated one of the reasons UVa manages to be so good year after year; the UVa novs finished first and second in the event, while Clemson's novice crew, the surprise of the regatta, took third.

    1999, Oli Rosenbladt, “Virginia Women Sweep Rivanna Romp”, in Rowing News, volume 6, number 21, page 8
  2. countableuncountableA striped cotton fabric.
  3. collectivecountableuncountableA group of swans on the water.

    As he quietly planned out the unfolding day ahead of him, his attention was drawn to a regatta of swans drawing close to the bank of the river.

    2026, Mick Vincent, It's Our Secret, Troubadour Publishing Limited
    2 more examples

    The mind returns to water meadows on the Risle and the Test, and the Traun with its petulant regatta of swans, where we fished from the timber walkways and stayed in the little fishing hotel at Marien- brucke.

    1972, Ernest George Schwiebert, Remembrances of Rivers Past, Macmillan, page 15

    A succession of mild winters which encouraged the recovery of kingfishers enabled some waters to restock again with a regatta of swans where there is willow-moss and other vegetation to feed them.

    1975, The Salmon and Trout Magazine, volumes 203-207, Salmon and Trout Association, page 8

Origin

  1. Latinauriga
  2. Vulgar Latin*aurigata
  3. Italianregata“boat race, regatta”
  4. Englishregatta

From Italian (Venetian dialect) regatta (“contention for mastery”), from regattare (“compete, haggle, sell at retail”), possibly from ricattare; or from Italian regata (“boat race, regatta”), via Vulgar Latin *aurigata from Latin auriga.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian регата
  • регата (regata)boat race
Czech regata
  • regataboat race
Finnish purjehduskilpailu, regatta
  • purjehduskilpailuboat race
  • regattaboat race
French régate
  • régateboat race
Greek ρεγκάτα
  • ρεγκάτα (regkáta)boat race
Hebrew רֶגָטָה, תַּחֲרוּת שַׁיִט
  • רֶגָטָה (regatta)boat race
  • תַּחֲרוּת שַׁיִט (takharut shayit)boat race
Malay regata, perlumbaan perahu
  • regataboat race
  • perlumbaan perahuboat race
Māori whakataetae waka
  • whakataetae wakaboat race
Norwegian Bokmål regatta
  • regattaboat race
Polish regaty
  • regatyboat race
Spanish regata
  • regataboat race

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with regatta

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

regatta. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regatta

MLA

“regatta.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regatta. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “regatta,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regatta.

Source: regatta on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.