knighthead

noun

1
: one of two timbers rising in the bows of a wooden ship just within the stem with one on each side of the bowsprit

called also bollard timber

2
: a triangular bulkhead just abaft the cutwater with a hole through which the bowsprit of a ship passes

Word History

Etymology

so called from its having been carved to represent knights

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Dictionary Entries Near knighthead

Cite this Entry

“Knighthead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knighthead. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

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