bowsprit

Everyday

1. A long pole sticking out forward from the front (the bow) of a sailing ship. tree →
2. The spar to which the ropes of the front sails are tied. tree →

In the lessons

A sailing word met in sea stories, pirate tales and The Wind in the Willows, where the Sea Rat tells of his voyages. Sailors climb out on the bowsprit to handle the front sails (the jibs). Useful in history lessons on sailing ships.

Examples

• The ship's bowsprit pointed out over the waves. tree →
• A sailor sat astride the bowsprit, fixing a rope. tree →
• The figurehead was carved just under the bowsprit. tree →
• Spray flew over the bowsprit as the ship dived into a wave. tree →
• The Sea Rat spoke of ships with long bowsprits sailing south. tree →
• In our model ship the bowsprit is a thin stick of wood. tree →
• It fell with enormous force on the bowsprit, tearing it from the vessel, and the stern was lifted high above the water. tree →

Note

«Bow» here rhymes with «cow» in the word «bow» of a ship, but in «bowsprit» most people say BOH. Bow = front of a ship; stern = back. Countable noun.