tholepin

9.9

A pin in the side of a boat that holds an oar while you row

noun

: tholepin

The carpenter installed new tholepins on the boat to secure the oars during rowing.

Examples

While repairing the rowboat, she noticed that the tholepins were worn out and needed replacement.
To ensure smooth movement of the oars, he checked each tholepin for firmness.
But he used the farthest set of tholepins, even though it made rowing much more difficult.

Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

vstholepin

153 1.0

A small metal or plastic object used to attach things to cloth

is the boat specific fastener set into the gunwale rather than a general small object

thole

vstholepin

1 9.9

A peg on the side of a boat that holds an oar and lets it turn when rowing

is specifically a single inserted thin fastener fixed into the gunwale

peg

vstholepin

1 8.2

A holder on a boat that keeps an oar in place while rowing

is a single inserted fastener in the gunwale rather than a separate holder

oarlock

vstholepin

1 7.0

A part on the side of a boat that holds an oar so it can move when you row

is a simple inserted fastener acting as the pivot rather than a mounted device

rowlock

vstholepin

Specialized

8.8

A small holder fixed to a boat side that keeps an oar in place while you row

is a small inserted fastener fixed into the gunwale rather than a fitted device

Surface Forms

tholepin singular

tholepins plural

Morphology

tholepin = thole + pin (transparent) = thole + pin

A direct compound of 'thole' + 'pin' whose meaning is the pin used as a thole; the composition is straightforward for learners who know the base words.

Etymology

Tholepin comes from the old word thole, meaning a boat 'peg', plus pin. So a tholepin is literally a pin that 'holds' the oar and lets it turn as you row.