Crossword clues for forecastle
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Forecastle \Fore"cas`tle\ (?; sailors say ?), n. (Naut.)
A short upper deck forward, formerly raised like a castle, to command an enemy's decks.
That part of the upper deck of a vessel forward of the foremast, or of the after part of the fore channels.
In merchant vessels, the forward part of the vessel, under the deck, where the sailors live.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
c.1400 (mid-14c. as Anglo-French forechasteil), "short raised deck in the fore part of the ship used in warfare," from Middle English fore- "before" + Anglo-French castel "fortified tower" (see castle (n.)). In broader reference to the part of a vessel forward of the fore rigging, late 15c.; hence, generally, "section of a ship where the sailors live" (by 1840). Spelling fo'c'sle reflects sailors' pronunciation.
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context nautical English) A raised part of the upper deck at the front of a ship. 2 (context nautical English) Crew's quarters located at the forward part of a ship.
WordNet
n. living quarters consisting of a superstructure in the bow of a merchant ship where the crew is housed [syn: fo'c'sle]
Wikipedia
Forecastle (pron. -sul; commonly abbreviated "fo'c's'le") refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters. Related to the latter meaning is the phrase "before the mast" which denotes anything related to ordinary sailors, as opposed to a ship's officers.
In medieval shipbuilding, a ship of war was usually equipped with a tall, multi-deck castle-like structure in the bow of the ship. It served as a platform for archers to shoot down on enemy ships, or as a defensive stronghold if the ship were boarded. A similar but usually much larger structure, called the aftcastle, was at the aft end of the ship, often stretching all the way from the main mast to the stern.
Having such tall upper works on the ship was detrimental to sailing performance. As cannons were introduced and gunfire replaced boarding as the primary means of naval combat during the 16th century, the medieval forecastle was no longer needed, and later ships such as the galleon had only a low, one-deck high forecastle.
By the end of the 19th century, raised forecastle had become a typical feature on warships again, in an attempt to keep forward gun positions from getting unacceptably wet on heavy seas. In addition the forecastle may provide additional crew's quarters as in the past, and may contain essential machinery such as the anchor windlass. A disadvantage of such a design is the structural weakness at the forecastle 'break' (the rear end of the forecastle with the main deck behind and below) relative to a flush deck structure.
Some sailing ships and many modern non-sail ships have no forecastle as such at all but the name is still used to indicate the foremost part of the upper deck – although often called the foredeck – and for any crews quarters in the bow of the ship, even if below the main deck.
Usage examples of "forecastle".
The reply had been made many years ago, but it had improved with age, and now it made him smile as he swung off the yard, seized a shifting backstay, slid easily down it and dropped on to the forecastle.
When the battleships pitched, gray water broke clear over their massive forecastles, and the dipping long guns vanished in spray.
Harris followed his gaze and saw the forecastle gun, the Bofors gun and a machine gun abaft the bridge, were now augmented by a dozen marksmen with rifles, and all aiming their weapons at Harris.
Above, twelve brass demiculverins, ten sakers, one minion, four portpieces, five fowlers, eight basies on the forecastle, six falcons, and nine falconets.
A few minutes later James Playfair came out of his cabin and went to the forecastle, where Mr.
The sailors who would have gone to their deaths willingly for her father now spoke openly in the forecastle of finding another vessel when next they shipped out.
The rammers and sponges belonging to the broadside-guns of spar-deck divisions of all ships having topgallant forecastles, or other light decks, may be kept under the forecastle or light deck when not in use.
He and his score and a half or so of men here against the sterncastle and an approximate equal number backed against the forecastle were all that was now left of the boarders.
Daikoff strode to the forecastle where Watches and Ool had held their whispered conversation, and from the ventilator removed a small compact dictograph device which had been lowered there.
Wooden whales, or whales cut in profile out of the small dark slabs of the noble South Sea war-wood, are frequently met with in the forecastles of American whalers.
But as perhaps fifty of these whale-bone whales are harpooned for one cachalot, some philosophers of the forecastle have concluded that this positive havoc has already very seriously diminished their battalions.
Imbued with that conviction, one of the men, thinking he had found a good opportunity of fulfilling the wishes of the priest, came up to me as I was standing at the extreme end of the forecastle, and pushed me so roughly that I was thrown over.
CHAPTER 121 Midnight - The Forecastle Bulwarks Stubb and Flask mounted on them, and passing additional lashings over the anchors there hanging.
Women and children screamed at the sight of the flapping sail above them and tried to crowd all at once into the shelter under the coracles on the forecastle.
He could hear the voices of men talking and singing in the forecastles, but could hear no movement on the deck of either ship.