embarks

Embark is a verb with two primary senses. First, it means to go aboard a vehicle for a journey, especially a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft, and to cause passengers or crew to board. Second, it means to begin a course of action, venture, or enterprise, such as a project, career, or expedition. The noun forms are embarkation (the act of boarding) and disembarkation (the act of leaving a vehicle).

Etymology and related terms: Embark comes from Old French embarquer, from en- (in, onto) and barque (a small boat). The term entered English in the early modern period with the sense of loading onto a vessel, later broadening to include starting a venture. Related terms include disembark, disembarkation, and emplane (to board a plane), though emplane is distinct in its common association with air travel.

Usage and syntax: Embark is used transitively in older or formal contexts to mean loading someone or something onto a vessel (embark passengers). More commonly in contemporary English, it is intransitive when describing beginning a journey or undertaking with on or upon: "They embarked on a new adventure" or "The crew embarked on the voyage." Disembark means to leave a vehicle at the end of a journey or mission.

Examples: The crew embarked at dawn for the voyage. She embarked on a new research project. Passengers were embarked before departure.

See also: disembarkation, embarkation, emplane.