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Glite Dictionary
bullock block

bullock block

9.9
A small wheel used with a rope to help raise sails at the top of a ship's mast
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : bloque de bullock
  • The crew attached the halyard to the bullock block at the top of the mast.

Examples

  • With a creak, the rope ran smoothly through the bullock block as the sailors worked.

  • The old bullock block needed to be replaced before raising the new sails.

  • The sailor adjusted the bullock block carefully.

  • Many ships use bullock blocks for their rigging.

  • The crew attached the halyard to the bullock block at the top of the mast.

  • The old bullock block needed to be replaced before raising the new sails.

  • With a creak, the rope ran smoothly through the bullock block as the sailors worked.

Synonyms

block
vsbullock block
  • Specialized
15 6.8

A wheel with a groove that a rope runs through

is the specific maritime top-of-mast pulley used for handling rigging
bollock
vsbullock block
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small wheel on the top part of a ship's mast that helps ropes move

is the same maritime fitting used to handle lines on the topmast
pulley-block
vsbullock block
  • Specialized
7.3

A wheel with a groove that a rope runs in to lift things or change the rope's direction

is the specific fitting mounted at a topmast head for rigging
pulley block
vsbullock block
  • Specialized
4.2

A wheel with a groove for a rope that helps lift or move heavy things

is the maritime topmost fitting used for handling rigging and lines

Surface Forms

bullock block singular
bullock blocks plural

Morphology

bullock + block

This is a specialized, archaic nautical term where the modifier 'bullock' does not transparently signal the specific type or location of the pulley. Even if a learner knows 'block' (a pulley) and 'bullock' only as 'young bull' (or encounters an unknown form), there is no predictable compositional link to a topmast pulley, so the overall meaning cannot be derived from the parts.

Etymology

Bullock block may come from the idea of a bullock because the wooden block high on a ship had to carry heavy loads like a bull's strength. It was a pulley fixed at the top of the mast to help sailors lift and move ropes, so the name came to mean 'a pulley at the top of a mast used to handle ropes'.