Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Nautical, a two-or three-fold block with an iron strap and large hook, used to draw up an anchor to the cat-head. See also cut under cat-head.
Examples
“All right, if there is nothing else, but I suppose it will be all bone and gristle, or as hard as a cat-block," replied Tommy; heaving a most portentous sigh of disappointment, though winking slily to me to show that he was only ` putting all this on 'to astonish the other fellows, who were gazing at him with open mouths in wonder at his assurance and grand seigneur manner.”
“The Italian ship had a crew of thirty men; nearly three times as many as the Alert, which was afterwards on the coast, and was of the same size; yet the Alert would get under weigh and come-to in half the time, and get two anchors, while they were all talking at oncejabbering like a parcel of Yahoos, and running about decks to find their cat-block.”
Chapter XVIII. Easter Sunday-Sail Ho!-Whales-San Juan-Romance of Hide-Droghing-San Diego Again
“The yards were then trimmed, the anchor weighed, the cat-block hooked on, the fall stretched out, manned by all hands and the cook, and the anchor brought to the head with cheerily men!”
“This work was done in shorter time than was usual on board the brig; for though everything was more than twice as large and heavy, the cat-block being as much as a man could lift, and the chain as large as three of the Pilgrims, yet there was a plenty of room to move about in, more discipline and system, more men, and more good will.”
“The yards were then trimmed, the anchor weighed, the cat-block hooked on, the fall stretched out, manned by "all hands and the cook," and the anchor brought to the head with "cheerily men!" in full chorus.”
Two years before the mast, and twenty-four years after: a personal narrative
“This work was done in shorter time than was usual on board the brig; for though everything was more than twice as large and heavy, the cat-block being as much as a man could lift, and the chain as large as three of the Pilgrim's, yet there was a plenty of room to move about in, more discipline and system, more men, and more good will.”
Two years before the mast, and twenty-four years after: a personal narrative
“The Italian ship had a crew of thirty men; nearly three times as many as the Alert, which was afterwards on the coast, and was of the same size; yet the Alert would get under weigh and come-to in half the time, and get two anchors, while they were all talking at once-jabbering like a parcel of "Yahoos," and running about decks to find their cat-block.”
Two years before the mast, and twenty-four years after: a personal narrative
“Alert would get under weigh and come-to in half the time, and get two anchors, while they were all talking at once -- jabbering like a parcel of "Yahoos," and running about decks to find their cat-block.”
“This work was done in shorter time than was usual on board the brig; for though everything was more than twice as large and heavy, the cat-block being as much as”
“The yards were then trimmed, the anchor weighed, the cat-block hooked on, the fall stretched out, manned by ` ` all hands and the cook, '' and the anchor brought to the head with ` ` cheerly, men! '' in full chorus.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘cat-block’.
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Rognons of Random Palavery
Another of my random palavery lists for terms and phrases that don't fit into any of my other lists.
priorship, exigeant, refectory, reestablish, capper, reesed, quar, reprune, orificial, reaming-iron, terminist, terminism and 3097 more...
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