bowline

noun

bow·line | \ˈbō-lən,

-ˌlīn\

Definition of bowline

1 : a rope used to keep the weather edge of a square sail taut forward

2 : a knot used to form a loop that neither slips nor jams — see knot illustration

Examples of bowline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The bowline knot, a simple and elegant configuration, never slips or comes loose under any strain or load. — Monica Corcoran Harel, Marie Claire, "I Signed My Husband Up for a Couples Survival Course," 23 May 2017 Knots are useful in everyday life and specific kinds of knots are suitable for specific tasks — bowlines, cleats, hitches and nooses all hold things together in different ways. — Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times, "Eight Crossings and 192 Atoms Long: the Tightest Knot Ever Tied," 16 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bowline.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about bowline

Dictionary Entries near bowline

bowline cringle

bowline on a bight

Statistics for bowline

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for bowline

The first known use of bowline was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for bowline

bowline

noun

bow·line | \ˈbō-lən

\

Kids Definition of bowline

: a knot used for making a loop that will not slip

WORD OF THE DAY

admonish

to express warning or disapproval

Test Your Vocabulary

Autumn Words of the Day 2018

Which is a synonym of fugacious?

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games