forecastle

noun

fore·​cas·​tle ˈfōk-səl How to pronounce forecastle (audio)
ˈfȯr-ˌka-səl
variants or fo'c'sle
1
: the forward part of the upper deck of a ship
2
: the crew's quarters usually in a ship's bow

Examples of forecastle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Inside a cramped lab in the Blue Heron’s forecastle, Megan Corum, one of Branstrator’s grad students, used a microscope hooked to a widescreen monitor to show me a few of these creatures, captured in a drop of Lake Superior water. Tim Folger, National Geographic, 2 Dec. 2020 Pursuing the Madame Gu Built by the Dutch firm Feadship and put into service in 2013, the Madame Gu has a large helicopter pad on its forecastle with a hangar underneath that can double as a squash court when the chopper isn’t on board. Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2022 On the forecastle deck, in the control room, a cheerful, brown-haired Texan named Cassie Bongiovanni sat before four large monitors, which had been bolted to the table. Ben Taub, The New Yorker, 10 May 2020 The two Advanced Gun Systems were designed to hide their 31.5-foot-long barrels until the moment of firing, reducing the turrets to two metallic lumps on the forecastle. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 5 Aug. 2019 In moments of leisure, the crew of the Pequod lie in the forecastle swapping tales of women and wandering, singing shanties and dancing jigs. The Economist, 18 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forecastle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of forecastle was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near forecastle

Cite this Entry

“Forecastle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forecastle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

forecastle

noun
fore·​cas·​tle ˈfōk-səl How to pronounce forecastle (audio)
ˈfōr-ˌkas-əl,
ˈfȯr-
variants or fo'c'sle
ˈfōk-səl
1
: the forward part of the upper deck of a ship
2
: the living area for the crew in the front part of a ship

More from Merriam-Webster on forecastle

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