Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A device, usually a U-shaped metal hoop on a swivel in the gunwale, used to hold an oar in place and as a fulcrum in rowing.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A rowlock.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Naut.) The notch, fork, or other device on the gunwale of a boat, in which the oar rests, and that holds the oar in place and acts as a fulcrum for rowing. Certain oarlocks are designed for use with oars having attached swivels, which insert into the oarlock and provide a firm pivot. Same as rowlock{1}.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a holder attached to the gunwale of a boat that holds the oar in place and acts as a fulcrum for rowing
Examples
“I put my oars in the oarlocks and closed the oarlock gates to hold them in place, taking my time and tightening the nut securely.”
“All sailed Venetian craft had oarlock; ALL boat craft had oar locks, so this doesn't mean its not a sailed boat.”
“Just a glimpse of water through the oarlock was enough to warn him where to dip the oar to avoid waves and eddies.”
“An open firebox lit the fishing boat's simple lines: the low gunwales, single oarlock, seining pole at the stern.”
“The brush of the next passing serpent snatched the oar from Jek's grip and tore the oarlock loose.”
“One started to slip through the oarlock into the water.”
“Reise ran alongside and managed to roll over the gunwale without snagging himself on the oarlock; he even kept hold of the oars, for a wonder.”
“I scrambled to get the oar back in its oarlock and both of them in the water before we hit the bridge, banging my knuckles together again in the process, and bringing us up against the bank.”
“Bink tried to put the end of one oar against the ship, to push, but it didn't work because he could not maneuver the oar free of its oarlock.”
“Only Juma imitated Conan's act, breaking his oar at the oarlock and slipping his slave ring loose.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘oarlock’.
-
End in -ock
Inspired by fbharjo (see spitchcock).
spitchcock, hillock, willock, peacock, pajock, penock, yapock, sycock, bittock, bawcock, burrock, cammock and 168 more...
-
Lock Me Up
All about locks. And security devices.
padlock, key, chain, lock, combination, deadlock, skeleton key, belock, oustiti, tuz, quoin, daglock and 19 more...
-
Grounded Words
an Eckhartian exercise of grinding
grind, grist, refrain, ground, grit, mitochondrion, groats, grout, gruel, great, gruesome, gravel and 162 more...
-
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
discovered while reading this book.
tendril, spiraea, political asylum, bristly, sordid, reel, garish, dulcitude, gait, charlatan, lapel, august and 96 more...
-
Sounds Fine
chamber, contumely, grosgrain, eidolon, monarchy, eschaton, writerly, descry, specious, bog, susurration, bleat and 23 more...
-
List
Witty, Murmur, Schism, Smolder, ingle nook, revenant, sea-gate, swell, knot, gunwale, oarlock, poppet and 65 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for oarlock.

Comments
No comments yet...
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.