sheepshank

[ sheep-shangk ]
/ ˈʃipˌʃæŋk /

noun

a kind of knot, hitch, or bend made on a rope to shorten it temporarily.

Origin of sheepshank

First recorded in 1635–45; short for sheepshank knot; literal sense unclear

Words nearby sheepshank

sheepherder, sheepish, sheeple, sheepman, sheepo, sheepshank, sheepshead, sheepshearing, sheepskin, sheepswool sponge, sheeptick

Example sentences from the Web for sheep-shank

  • Sheep-shank the stays and backstays, and set them hand-taut.

    The Seaman's Friend |Richard Henry Dana

  • The purpose of a Sheep-shank is to take up slack or shorten a rope temporarily.

    Scouting For Girls, Official Handbook of the Girl Scouts |Girl Scouts

  • But when you come to that sheep-shank and bowline upon the bight, as you term them, it grows confusing.

    Fighting in Cuban Waters |Edward Stratemeyer

  • It is sometimes necessary to shorten a rope temporarily and not desirable to cut it, and the sheep-shank knot solves the problem.

    On the Trail |Lina Beard and Adelia Belle Beard

British Dictionary definitions for sheep-shank

sheepshank
/ (ˈʃiːpˌʃæŋk) /

noun

a knot consisting of two hitches at the ends of a bight made in a rope to shorten it temporarily