crow's nest
4
6.1
- noun
- /kroʊz nɛst/
:
nido de gaviota
- From the crow's nest, the lookout could see the entire coastline stretching in both directions.
- crow's nest lookout
- climb to the crow's nest
Examples
-
The name of the ship was The Mare, and it had three masts, three bright yellow sails, and a crow's nest.
Fiction book (2002) -
This is the crow's nest.
-
When it comes for her, we'll have a clear shot from the crow's nest.
-
Then a cry from the crow's nest...
Fiction book (1999) -
Rickles takes first watch in the crow's nest.
-
They need me in the crow's nest.
-
Arne Sorensen, our Danish ice pilot, is 60 feet up in the crow's nest of the Arctic Sunrise vessel.
Blog text (2) -
The sailor climbed up to the crow's nest to ensure no ships were approaching.
-
While on watch in the crow's nest, she spotted a storm brewing far off in the distance.
Synonyms
97
9.3
A platform near the head of a ship's mast where sailors work
A small platform high on a ship's mast for watching the sea
A platform near the top of a ship's main mast where sailors look out and work
A small platform at the top of a ship's front mast used for looking out
How High
4
6.1
- Specialized
- Specialized
3
5.0
- Specialized
6
3.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
crow's + nest
A B1 learner who knows 'crow' and 'nest' will most likely interpret this as a bird's nest belonging to a crow; the nautical meaning 'lookout platform on a mast' is a language-specific, metaphorical extension that is not directly derivable from the parts. The historical/nautical origin and specialized usage make the meaning unpredictable without prior exposure, so it is opaque to learners.
Etymology
The noun crow's nest comes from old ships. One popular story says the small platform high on the mast looked like a bird's nest, so a lookout sat there like a crow watching the sea. That's why crow's nest means 'a high lookout point'.