bowsprit

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a spar projecting forward from a sailing vessel's bow, used to support rigging and forward sails

   A sailor crawled along the bowsprit to secure the loosened jib.

From Middle English bowsprit, probably borrowed from Middle Low German bochspret, formed from boch, 'ship's bow,' and spret, 'pole' or 'spar.' The English compound was later reshaped to look like bow plus sprit.

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