Bowsprit definition

bousprĭt, bō-
A spar, extending forward from the stem of a ship, to which the stays of the foremast are fastened.
noun
0
0
A large, tapered spar extending forward from the bow of a sailing vessel, to which stays for the masts are secured.
noun
0
0
(nautical) A spar projecting over the prow of a sailing vessel to provide the means of adding sail surface.
noun
0
0
Advertisement

Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
bowsprit
Plural:
bowsprits

Origin of bowsprit

  • Middle English bouspret possibly from Middle Low German bōchsprēt bōch bow bheug- in Indo-European roots sprēt sprit sper- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • First attested in late XIII century. Probably from M.L.G. bochspret: boch - "the bow of a ship" + spret - "pole".

    From Wiktionary

Bowsprit Sentence Examples

  • In the meantime, if your boat has a bowsprit, could you please check the bobstay, its attachments and its components.

  • Three crew members of May [Master - Gerald Gadd] preparing her bowsprit jib and jib topsail.

  • She is currently modeled with staysail rig, but does have a bowsprit that can be fitted.

  • All went well until we hit the problem of how to retract the bowsprit.

  • You can see the bowsprit, foremast with crow's nest, a cannon.

More sentences

Related articles

Also Mentioned In

Words near bowsprit in the Dictionary