The Collaborative International Dictionary
Puddening \Pud"den*ing\, n. [Probably fr. pudden, for pudding, in allusion to its softness.] (Naut.)
A quantity of rope-yarn, or the like, placed, as a fender, on the bow of a boat.
A bunch of soft material to prevent chafing between spars, or the like.
Wiktionary
n. (context nautical English) Fibres of old rope packed between spars, or used as a fender.
Usage examples of "puddening".
And then there was all the bosun's work, puddening and chaining the yards, and the gunner's, filling more cartridge, rousing up more shot, grape, round and canister.
She bore as much resemblance to her ordinary self as the rigid bosun, sweating in a uniform coat that must have been shaped with an adze, did to the same man in his shirt-sleeves, puddening the topsail yard in a heavy swell.
Mr Watt, the top-chains and puddening - but I need not tell you what to do, I see.
The eastern sky was showing a hint of light by the time the bosun came to report a difficulty in his puddening - did the Captain wish it to be above the new clench or below?
The wind increased with the setting of the sun, and seeing that it would certainly come on to blow they struck topgallantmasts, reefed topsails and made all snug, even to the extent of rolling-tackles and puddening - storm-canvas had been the order of the day since Jutland - and they passed the Start as though they meant to fly out of the Channel without once changing course and reach the Spanish coast before the end of the week, a fitting crown to a most uncommon expedition.