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bitthead

bitthead

9.9
The top part of a post on a ship used to hold ropes
  • noun
  • Jargon
: cabeza de bitt
  • The sailor tied the mooring line securely around the bitthead.

Examples

  • Maintenance of the bitthead is crucial for safe docking operations.

  • The bitthead is crucial for mooring the vessel safely.

  • Rust had formed on the bitthead after months at sea.

  • Each bitthead on the ship was polished regularly.

  • The sailor tied the mooring line securely around the bitthead.

  • Rust had formed on the bitthead after months at sea.

  • Maintenance of the bitthead is crucial for safe docking operations.

Surface Forms

bitthead singular
bittheads plural

Morphology

bitthead = bitt + head (transparent) = bitt + head

The noun is a straightforward compound 'bitt' + 'head' meaning the top of a bitt, so the relation is directly derivable from the components.

Etymology

The word bitthead comes from the ship word bitt, a strong post used to hold ropes, and head meaning 'top'. So a bitthead is the top of that post where lines are tied.