What is "carrick bend"

Carrick \Car"rick\, n. (Naut.) A carack. See Carack.

Carrick bend (Naut.), a kind of knot, used for bending together hawsers or other ropes.

Carrick bitts (Naut.), the bitts which support the windlass.
--Totten.

n. (context nautical English) A round knot used to join two rope hawsers when required to go round the barrel of a capstan without jamming.

n. a knot used to connect the ends of two large ropes or hawsers

The carrick bend is a knot used for joining two lines. It is particularly appropriate for very heavy rope or cable that is too large and stiff to easily be formed into other common bends. It will not jam even after carrying a significant load or being soaked with water. As with many other members of the basket weave knot family, the carrick bend's aesthetically pleasing interwoven and symmetrical shape has also made it popular for decorative purposes.

The knot features prominently as a motif in the hard science fiction novel Picoverse by Robert A. Metzger.