sailor's breastplate
- noun
- Specialized
:
nudo de marinero
- The sailor's breastplate was carefully tied before the men began hauling the cannon across the deck.
Examples
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Old naval manuals describe the sailor's breastplate as essential for moving heavy artillery.
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The sailor's breastplate is essential for securing the gun carriage.
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He demonstrated how to make a sailor's breastplate during the reenactment of the ship's preparations.
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Many sailor's breastplates are made from durable materials.
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During the battle, the crew skillfully used a sailor's breastplate to drag the gun carriage into position.
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The instructor explained that a properly tied sailor's breastplate is crucial for safely transporting heavy naval equipment.
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In the historical demonstration, the volunteers practiced tying a sailor's breastplate to maneuver the ship's cannons.
Synonyms
A way of tying a rope to attach and pull a cannon carriage
Surface Forms
Morphology
sailor's + breastplate
A B1 learner who knows 'sailor' and 'breastplate' would interpret the phrase as something like an armor piece belonging to a sailor; that literal composition gives no indication of a knot used for dragging a gun carriage. The MWE refers to a specialized, historical nautical knot and its meaning is not predictable from the constituents or standard possessive compounding, so learners cannot derive the meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
Sailor's breastplate comes from a rope knot sailors used to pull heavy cannons. They tied ropes across the front of the cart like a breastplate across the chest so the knot held the load while men hauled, and that's why it means 'a knot used for dragging a gun carriage'.
