bollock
1
9.9
A small wheel on the top part of a ship's mast that helps ropes move
- noun
- /ˈbɑːlək/
- Archaic
:
bloque
Synonyms
9.9
A small wheel used with a rope to help raise sails at the top of a ship's mast
has the same meaning but appears as a different form or spelling
Idioms
Surface Forms
Etymology
Bollock for the pulley at the top of a mast probably comes from the idea of a round block of wood; one idea is that it is related to the word ball, meaning 'small ball', or to block, so it names a round piece that guides a rope and that is why it means this kind of pulley.