A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole. A punt should not be confused with a gondola, which is propelled by an oar rather than a pole.
Punts were originally built as cargo boats or platforms for fowling and angling, but in modern times their use is almost exclusively confined to pleasure trips.
The term "punt" has also been used to indicate a smaller version of a regional type of long shore working boat, for example the Deal Galley Punt. This derives from the wide usage in coastal communities of the name "punt" for any small clinker-built open-stem general purpose boat.
In Canada, the term punt can also refer to any small flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, regardless of purpose, building material, or propulsion source.
In Australia, cable ferries are commonly referred to as punts.
The University of Cambridge (informally known as "Cambridge University" or simply as "Cambridge") is a public research university located in Cambridge, England, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world (after the University of Oxford), and the third-oldest surviving university in the world. In post-nominals the university's name is abbreviated as Cantab, a shortened form of Cantabrigiensis. It is considered to be one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the world.
The institute grew out of an association of scholars that was formed in 1209, early records suggest, by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute with townsfolk. The two "ancient universities" have many common features and are often jointly referred to as Oxbridge. Today, Cambridge is a collegiate university with 31 colleges and six academic schools. All these university institutions occupy different locations in the town including purposely-built sites and the student life thrives with numerous opportunities in the arts, sport clubs and societies. Cambridge is also a member of a myriad of academic associations and forms part of the 'golden triangle' of British universities. A total of 89 Nobel Prizes winners are affiliates of the university.