·noun A Notch.
II. Nock ·noun The upper fore corner of a boom sail or of a trysail.
III. Nock ·vt To Notch; to fit to the string, as an arrow; to string, as a bow.
The breech; from NOCK, a notch. ...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
The forward upper end of a sail that sets with a boom. Also, a term used for notch. ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
slender, pliable. Lane. ...
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose