Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Nautical A spar, extending forward from the stem of a ship, to which the stays of the foremast are fastened.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A large spar which projects forward from the stem of a ship or other vessel.
- n. Beyond it extend the jib-boom and the flying-jib boom. The bowsprit is secured downward by the bobstays and the gammoning (which see), and at the sides by the bowsprit-shrouds, which are secured to the bows of the ship. From the outer end of the bowsprit a spar called the martingale or dolphin-striker projects downward to support the martingale-stays, and two smaller spars, called whiskers, project sidewise to support the jib-guys. On the foretopmast-stay, the jib-stay, and the flying-jib stay (which extend downward from the foretopmast-head and the foretop-gallantmast-head to the ends of the bowsprit, jib-boom, and flying-jib boom) are set the foretopmast-staysail, the jib, and the flying jib. Corruptly written boltsprit.
Wiktionary
- n. nautical A spar projecting over the prow of a sailing vessel to provide the means of adding sail surface.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Naut.) A large boom or spar, which projects over the stem of a ship or other vessel, to carry sail forward.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a spar projecting from the bow of a vessel
Etymologies
- First attested in late XIII century. Probably from M.L.G. bochspret: boch - "the bow of a ship" + spret - "pole". (Wiktionary)
- Middle English bouspret, possibly from Middle Low German bōchsprēt : bōch, bow; see bheug- in Indo-European roots + sprēt, sprit; see sper- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Adonis _Adonis_ apropos _apropo_ bowsprit _bowsprit_ brooch _broch_ not _broosh_ compromise _compromize_ jowl _jol_, not like _owl_ molecular _molecular_ ogle _ogle_ trow _tro_ vocable _vocable_ zoology _zoology_, not _zoo_”
“A bowsprit is a precarious bridge; the boarding party was on a virtual suicide mission.”
“Rising from the calm surface of the sea beneath the bowsprit was a line of crabs.”
“The broken spars dangling forlornly from the bowsprit were a bigger problem, but the icerigger could sail without them.”
“There are three masts and the bowsprit, which is simply the old bowmast that has gradually increased its angle until it is now almost horizontal.”
“The bowsprit is a strong conical piece of timber, projecting from the stem of a ship, and serving to support the fore-mast, and as a yard or boom on which certain sails are moveable.”
“Between it and the bowsprit are the _fore-stay-sail_, _jib_, and”
“In a short time, the wind having fallen still more, I was able to board her; when I found that many of the French crew had attempted to escape and had been lost, and that those on the bowsprit were the only survivors.”
“The afterpart, however, or stern-sheets, is sunk about four feet; and as the bowsprit is a mere stump, and the sheets of both foresail and jib lead aft, all the work may be done here when under snug sail.”
Impressions of America During the years 1833, 1834 and 1835. In Two Volumes, Volume I.
“I was afraid you would be knocked off the bowsprit, which is a bad place to be, when two vessels put their noses together.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘bowsprit’.
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Gene Wolfe
Please contribute your favorite words from any of Gene Wolfe’s books to this prize-winning list.
In case you come across words in this list which are too commonplace to fit in, please ...gallipot, roost, badelaire, oblesque, execration, dhole, amschaspand, arctother, chalcedony, penitence, asimi, autarch and 839 more...
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Mobying Along
looks like there's not an open Moby Dick list. So now there is.
hypos, Manhattoes, circumambulate, mole, grapnels, bowsprit, asphaltic, mazy, tranced, cataract, ungraspable, judgmatically and 227 more...
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phrontistery - b
List of words from phrontistery.info
babeldom, baccate, bacchanal, bacciferous, bacciform, baccivorous, bacillicide, backstay, bactericide, baculiform, baculine, baculum and 582 more...
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Tristram Shandy
souse, meet, sententious, propound, boot, casuistry, avoirdupois, akimbo, disport, lenity, succussation, sweetbread and 197 more...
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Nautical Words
lubber, mizzenmast, circumnavigation, clipper, cordage, galleon, gangplank, gangway, flying bridge, following sea, schooner, amidships and 106 more...
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Stalking Darkness
Words and phrases from Lynn Flewelling's book, Stalking Darkness.
inquest, halyard, catamount, occlude, founder, more, grouse, grapple, water butt, antepenultimate, palimpsest, hob and 196 more...
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pixistix's Words
cumquat, circumlocution, panoply, propinquity, contumely, quietus, fardel, tmesis, tipsy, giddy, trudge, vortex and 211 more...
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Just 'cause I like 'em, B
bloviate, bejesus, brouhaha, behoove, bodacious, bamboozle, banshee, bub, bolus, blob, bubbly, bleb and 414 more...
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Red Seas Under Red Skies
Words and phrase from Scott Lynch's book, Red Seas Under Red Skies.
legate, pugnacity, weevil, steady as a dry-d..., chit, sans, apprise, forfend, ken, expatriate, enclave, scrubs and 220 more...
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fbharjo's Words
jumelle, kef, kenspeckle, lautitious, essentic, pilpulistic, impavid, cicurant, clou, chrysostomic, miasma, teleology and 1625 more...
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and Bristol fashion
being items related to boats, ships, sailing, nautical and naval lore &c.
sloop, frigate, brigantine, brig, grog, schooner, rig, sail, canvas, jib, forestay, cutter and 150 more...
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...a list from a notebook...
I found several pages of words in an old notebook. By the looks of it, they were words I learnt some time ago (and subsequently wrote down) from books by Patrick O'Brian and China Mieville, two aut...
trabacaloes, jocosity, ordnance, transom, douceur, purser, nostrum, gaby, sea-lawyer, bowsprit, officious, hobnailed and 124 more...
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sailing
ballast, beam, boom, bow, bowsprit, bridge, buoy, chart, cockpit, current, davits, deck and 86 more...
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Maritime
Nautilusty
abaft, navalis, coastal, nautical, marine, sea, sea-going, Occident, Orient, trans-Atlantic, amidships, transom and 28 more...
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over the bounding main
sailing, sailing, the ocean, the seven seas ...
abaft, bilge, boom, isobar, chronometer, berth, spar, yawl, bowsprit, caravel, brigantine, razee and 14 more...
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wickerman's Words
xenomorph, arthropod, atheist, coffee, android, horrific, feculent, automaton, radiation, particulate, oligarchy, proletariat and 41 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for bowsprit.
chained_bear This is one of the best nautical words ever. Feb 27, 2008