bulkhead

noun

bulk·​head ˈbəlk-ˌhed  ˈbəl-ˌked 

1

: an upright partition separating compartments

2

: a structure or partition to resist pressure or to shut off water, fire, or gas

3

: a retaining wall along a waterfront

4

: a projecting framework with a sloping door giving access to a cellar stairway or a shaft

Examples of bulkhead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With no air-con and copious heat-soak through the rear bulkhead (the glass panel behind your head gets almost too hot to touch), driving it hard also feels like a physical workout. —Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 18 May 2026

The yacht uses a bulkhead-free platform intended to dissolve boundaries between interior and exterior spaces through retractable glass walls, fold-down terraces and uninterrupted sightlines. —Dea Jusufi, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026

There was only one stairwell in the building, and the flames were consuming it from the first floor to the bulkhead on the roof. —Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026

For example, Glover, Koch and Hansen practiced CPR in space, taking turns bracing against Orion’s bulkhead to gain leverage to simulate chest compressions and rescue breathing while recording the proceedings for future crew trainings. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

bulk (structure projecting from a building) + head

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bulkhead

• abed
• ahead
• beachhead
• bedspread
• bedstead
• behead
• blackhead
• blockhead
• bloodshed
• bowhead
• breastfed
• bridgehead

Kids Definition

bulkhead

noun

bulk·​head ˈbəlk-ˌhed 

1

: a wall separating compartments

2

: an external structure with a sloping door leading to the cellar stairway of a house