Steamboats symbolized the tremendous impact of the Industrial Revolution on maritime transportation in the 19th century.

steamboats 是复合名词，由 steam（蒸汽）和 boat（船）组成，steam 指"水蒸气"，boat 指"船、艇"。 steamboats 指"蒸汽船"，即利用蒸汽机作为动力的船只，这是工业革命时期重要的交通工具。