The traditional name of the giant boat built by Noah in the Flood story is the Ark.
The English word “ark” comes through Latin arca, meaning a chest or box, and is used for the vessel described in Genesis. The Hebrew term is tebah, a word also used for the basket in which the infant Moses is placed in Exodus. This shared term emphasizes a container that preserves life through dangerous waters.
The Ark is not described as a conventional sailing ship. Genesis gives its dimensions, compartments, a door, and a window, but it does not mention sails, oars, or a rudder. Its purpose is survival and preservation rather than navigation to a chosen destination.
In English, “Noah's Ark” distinguishes this vessel from other biblical objects called arks, especially the Ark of the Covenant. They are different objects with different stories. The Flood vessel is simply called the ark within much of the Genesis narrative.