noun
- Plural of bilander; small two-masted sailing vessels formerly used in northern Europe, especially for coastal and river trade.
Usage: nautical; historical; chiefly British
Examples
- The bilanders were common sights in Dutch and Flemish ports during the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Merchants relied on bilanders to transport goods along the Rhine and other European waterways.
- The museum's collection includes models of several bilanders used in Baltic trade.
- Bilanders could navigate both open seas and shallow inland waters with ease.