half hitch
1
6.5
- noun
- /hæf hɪtʃ/
- Specialized
:
medio nudo
- Start off with half hitches stabilizing the base and then full hitches along a right hand line and along the left hand line.
- knots and half hitch
- two half hitches
- make a half hitch
Examples
-
Dad, look, I did a round turn with two half hitches.
-
Over, under, over, under, over, under, under, under, over, over, over, over, over, over, over, under, over, half hitch.
-
She taught the square knot, the bowline, and the half hitch to her agreeable but slightly bored scouts, while a girl in each patrol followed Ruth's instructions, then passed the rope on.
Fiction book (2002) -
To secure the load, tie a half hitch around the beam and pull it tight.
-
The sailor used a half hitch to temporarily fasten the rope to the dock.
-
After wrapping the rope around the post, he finished the knot with a half hitch.
Synonyms
95
1.0
A fastening made by tying rope or string to hold things together
5
4.8
A quick knot that can be tied and untied
How Secure
- Specialized
4
8.2
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
1
8.5
- Specialized
1
6.5
3
5.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'half' (partial) + 'hitch' (a temporary knot) transparently signal that this is a type of small or partial knot used to secure something temporarily, so a learner who knows both words can infer the general notion. However, the precise tying method and technical details are specialised and not fully predictable from the parts alone, so learners would grasp the general concept but not the exact form without exposure.
Etymology
Half hitch: The noun half hitch names a very simple knot you make by passing the rope around an object and then through a small loop, making one hitch that is only a half of a full knot. Because it is just a quick, single turn, it holds things 'for a short time', so people use it to fasten ropes temporarily or to finish other knots.