Genesis uses the Hebrew word tebah for Noah’s Ark.
The Hebrew noun tebah refers to Noah’s vessel in the Flood account. It is commonly translated as “ark,” but the word does not specifically mean a ship in the modern nautical sense. Its broader sense is often explained as a box, chest, or vessel designed to preserve life.
The same Hebrew word appears elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible in the story of Moses as an infant. Moses is placed in a tebah coated with protective material and set among the reeds of the Nile. This shared vocabulary creates a literary connection between Noah and Moses: both are preserved from deadly waters in a specially protected vessel.
The word differs from several familiar religious terms. Mishkan means a dwelling or tabernacle, menorah refers to a lampstand, and kippah is a head covering. None of those terms names Noah’s Ark.