span

The Sailor's Word-Book

A rope with both ends made fast, so that a purchase may be hooked to its bight. Also, a small line or cord, the middle of which is usually attached to a stay, whence the two ends branch outwards to the right and left, having either a block or thimble attached to their extremities. It is used to confine some ropes which pass through the corresponding blocks or thimbles as a fair leader.

The Sailor's Word-Book

← spales × span-blocks →

Related Words

Span
·- imp. & ·p.p. of Spin. II. Span ·vi To be matched, as horses. III. Span ·Impf of <<Spin>>. IV. ...

Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
span
1) A span of horses consists of two of nearly the same color, and otherwise nearly alike, which are ...

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
Span-new
·adj Quite new; brand-new; fire-new. ...

Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
span-clean
Very clean; perfectly clean. ...

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
span-blocks
Blocks seized into each bight of a strap, long enough to go across a cap, and allow the blocks to ha...

The Sailor's Word-Book
span-shackle
A large bolt running through the forecastle and spar-deck beams, and forelocked before each beam, wi...

The Sailor's Word-Book
reef-tackle span
Two cringles in the bolt-rope, about a couple of feet apart, when a block is used. ...

The Sailor's Word-Book
span of rigging
The length of shrouds from the dead-eyes on one side, over the mast-head, to the dead-eyes on the ot...

The Sailor's Word-Book
spick and span new
every part new. S. Some derive this from a spear, the head of which was vulgarly called the spike, t...

A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
span in the rigging, to
To draw the upper parts of the shrouds together by tackles, in order to seize on the cat-harping leg...

The Sailor's Word-Book