Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Any of several structures that project from the side of a boat or ship, especially a gun platform.
- n. A short, curved, air-filled projection on the hull of a seaplane, imparting stability in the water.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Nautical, the curve of the timbers and planking toward the outer part of the wing, before and abaft each of the paddle-boxes of a steamer; also, the framework itself.
- n. In a war-ship, a projecting structure in which a gun is placed: designed to enable the gun to be trained forward and aft.
- In ship-building, to be fitted with a sponson, or to have a projection from the side of a vessel of the form of sponson: usually followed by out.
Wiktionary
- n. A projection from the side of a watercraft.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. One of the triangular platforms in front of, and abaft, the paddle boxes of a steamboat.
- n. One of the slanting supports under the guards of a steamboat.
- n. One of the armored projections fitted with gun ports, used on modern war vessels.
Etymologies
- Perhaps alteration of expansion. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“We helped them up the ladder to a sponson where a shower was rigged.”
“Nothing anyone can do now will change that. sponson Says:”
“Even worse, all of the AP rounds were in the hull sponson racks, and Fleig had to turn his turret away from the target in order for the crew to pass the ammo up.”
“The M3 itself had been a massive compromise with the mounting of its main gun in a side sponson that provided only limited tra - verse.”
“She led the way down the passageway to a sponson, an open-air enclosed area low on the ship.”
“` During the day the smoking '-- is it called sponson.”
The Kinder, Gentler Military: Can America's Gender-Neutral Fighting Force Still Win Wars?
“We had the utmost difficulty in making the bolt-holes fit, and as each sponson weighs about three tons they were not easy to move and adjust.”
“There he lay, along one side of the tank between the engine and the sponson.”
“McKnutt signalled to him, and he opened fire from his sponson.”
“The tanks moved down to the temporary tankdrome which had been decided upon near the railway, and the sponson trucks were towed there.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘sponson’.
-
Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
-
phrontistery-s
from phrontistery.info
syzygy, systyle, systematology, systatic, syssitia, syrtic, systaltic, syrt, syrinx, syphilomania, syphilology, syntrierarch and 1593 more...
-
Logolepsy
"Luciferous Logolepsy is a collection of over 9,000 obscure English words. Though the definition of an 'English' word might seem to be straightforward, it is not. There exist so many adopted, deriv...
Anschauung, Areopagus, Argus, Briarean, Dei gratia, Dei judicium, Deo volente, Duecento, Foehn, Geflugelte Worte, Gegenschein, Hakenkreuz and 9230 more...
-
Some Ship-building Terms
Ship builders' terms, from stem to stern (these words aren't on the list).
ledge, lay, leveling-block, mold-loft, munnion, planking, planking-clamp, strake, ram-line, ram, rib, ribband and 248 more...
-
The word collector
My collection of words that are intriguing, but don't fit my other lists.
snailery, aplasia, postulant, aigrette, caravel, frigate, capeskin, suffusion, schist, varlet, sepulchral, anisotropy and 317 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for sponson.
ruzuzu Are there any lists of ship-building terms? Mar 18, 2011