top-rope

The Sailor's Word-Book

The mast-rope employed to sway up a top-mast or topgallant-mast, in order to fix it in its place, or lower it. The top-rope is rove through a block which is hooked on one side of the cap, and passing through the sheave-hole of the mast, is brought upwards on the opposite side, and fastened to an eye-bolt in the foremost part of the cap. To the lower end of the top-mast top-rope a tackle is fixed. (See top-tackle.) "Swaying on all top-ropes;" figuratively, "going the whole hog" in joviality or any trickery.

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