The Collaborative International Dictionary
Bowline \Bow"line\, n. [Cf. D. boelijn, Icel. b["o]gl["i]na?, Dan. bovline; properly the line attached to the shoulder or side of the sail. See Bow (of a ship), and Line.] (Naut.) A rope fastened near the middle of the leech or perpendicular edge of the square sails, by subordinate ropes, called bridles, and used to keep the weather edge of the sail tight forward, when the ship is closehauled.
Bowline bridles, the ropes by which the bowline is fastened to the leech of the sail.
Bowline knot. See Illust. under Knot.
On a bowline, close-hauled or sailing close to the wind; -- said of a ship.
WordNet
n. a loop knot that neither slips not jams [syn: bowline]
Usage examples of "bowline knot".
Alston moved to take one of the ropes and secure the bows with a running bowline knot.
The tether was of woven viral monofilament a half mile thick, and the double bowline knot that fastened it had been tied, with much tricky maneuvering, by a pair of space tugs.
The tool kit, consisting of several metric wrenches, a pair of pliers, two screwdrivers, and a geologist's hammer with a small pick on one end, was tied loosely to the safety line by a bowline knot and lowered by a small cord.
She tugged the line up under his arms, then tied a secure bowline knot and gave the rope three quick tugs.
Cadmann Weyland adjusted a bowline knot around the smooth white curve of its neck, then tugged on the line to check the anchoring: it was securely spiked into the rock.
The end seemed to weld into a loop, hobbling Max as effectively as a bowline knot.
With the free end that he had thrown over the beam he bent a noose around the length that depended from the opposite side of the beam, making it fast with a bowline knot.