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handspike

noun

Etymology

From hand + spike.

  1. derived from *spey-✻ — “to be pointed; sharp point, stick”
  2. derived from *spīkō✻ — “stick, splinter, point”
  3. derived from spík — “spike, sprig”
  4. inherited from spike
  5. compounded as handspike — “hand + spike”

Definitions

  1. A bar or lever, generally of wood, used in a windlass or capstan, for heaving anchor,…

    A bar or lever, generally of wood, used in a windlass or capstan, for heaving anchor, and, in modified forms, for various purposes.

    • I would not take a rood of land from Frederic to be appointed to a man-of-war to-morrow morning, for I looked on it as his (God grant it may be long ere he touch it!) ever since I was the height of a handspike.
    • “Man the capstan! Blood and thunder!—jump!”—was the next command, and the crew sprang for the handspikes.
    • Then he rapped on the door with a bit of stick like a handspike that he carried...

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for handspike. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA