- sheepshank
- noun Date: 1627 1. a knot for shortening a line — see knot illustration 2. Scottish something of no worth or importance
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
sheepshank
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Sheepshank — An unloaded sheepshank tied in nylon rope. Category Shortening Origin 1627[ … Wikipedia
Sheepshank — Sheep shank , n. (Naut.) A hitch by which a rope may be temporarily shortened. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
sheepshank — 1670s, leg of a sheep, from SHEEP (Cf. sheep) + SHANK (Cf. shank). Attested earlier in transf. sense of type of sailor s knot used to shorten a rope without cutting it (1620s) … Etymology dictionary
sheepshank — ► NOUN ▪ a knot used to shorten a rope temporarily … English terms dictionary
sheepshank — [shēpshaŋk΄] n. a knot used for shortening a rope: see KNOT1 … English World dictionary
sheepshank — /sheep shangk /, n. a kind of knot, hitch, or bend made on a rope to shorten it temporarily. [1635 45; short for sheepshank knot; literal sense unclear] * * * … Universalium
sheepshank — sheep•shank [[t]ˈʃipˌʃæŋk[/t]] n. navig. a kind of knot, hitch, or bend made on a rope to shorten it temporarily • Etymology: 1625–35; short for sheepshank knot; literal sense unclear … From formal English to slang
sheepshank — noun A type of knot which is useful for shortening a rope or taking up slack. See Also: dogshank … Wiktionary
sheepshank — n. knot used to temporarily shorten a rope … English contemporary dictionary
sheepshank — noun a knot used to shorten a rope, made by taking two bights of rope and securing them to the standing rope with two half hitches … English new terms dictionary
