Crossword clues for rowlock
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Rowlock \Row"lock\ (? colloq. ?), n. [For oarlock; AS. [hand]rloc, where the second part is skin to G. loch a hole, E. lock a fastening. See Oar, and Lock.]
(Naut.) A contrivance or arrangement serving as a fulcrum for an oar in rowing. It consists sometimes of a notch in the gunwale of a boat, sometimes of a pair of pins between which the oar rests on the edge of the gunwale, sometimes of a single pin passing through the oar, or of a metal fork or stirrup pivoted in the gunwale and suporting the oar; same as oarlock. [Chiefly Brit.]
One of the rings of masonry included in an arch having more than one ring.
Wiktionary
n. (context nautical chiefly British English) a pivot attached to the gunwale (outrigger in a sport boat) of a boat that supports and guides an oar, and provides a fulcrum for rowing; an oarlock (qualifier: mostly US).
WordNet
Wikipedia
A rowlock , sometimes spur (due to the similarity in shape and size), oarlock (USA) or gate (Australia) is a brace that attaches an oar to a boat. When a boat is rowed, the rowlock acts as a fulcrum, and, in doing so, the propulsive force that the rower exerts on the water with the oar is transferred to the boat by the thrust force exerted on the rowlock.
On ordinary rowing craft, the rowlocks are attached to the gunwales. In the sport of rowing, the rowlocks are attached to outriggers (often just called "riggers"), which project from the boat and provide greater leverage. In sport rowing, the rowlocks are normally U-shaped and attached to a vertical pin which allows the rowlock to pivot around the pin during the rowing stroke. They additionally have a locking mechanism (properly known as "the gate") across the top of the "U" to prevent the oar from unintentionally popping out of the rowlock.
Originally rowlocks were two wooden posts or thole pins that the shaft of the oar nestled between.
In sport rowing oarlocks were originally brass or bronze and open (no gate). With the advent of modern materials oarlocks are now injection moulded plastic and precision made to minimize play (slop) between the oar collar and the oarlock. The most recent sport racing oarlocks have a spring loaded feature to keeps the oar collar firmly against the pin at all times.
Oarlocks are technical pieces of equipment in sport rowing, holding the oar shaft and therefore the oar blade at the correct angle in the water to ensure optimum performance.
Usage examples of "rowlock".
A seat in the stern, a second seat in the middle to preserve the equilibrium, a third seat in the bows, rowlocks for the two oars, a scull to steer with, completed the little craft, which was twelve feet long, and did not weigh more than two hundred pounds.
When he had fitted the oars into the rowlocks and shoved off with a grunt, I lay back in the sculler and watched the thinning spray of lights ashore.
Something like laughter, or, as it were, the clapper of a scarer of birds, echoed among the rocks at the rattling of the rowlocks.
The following afternoon, heralded by the shouted orders of Midshipman Brewer and the sound of oars creaking in their rowlocks, a boat from the Sirius came to Pinchgut Island.
Its cover had been thrown back, and tins of biscuit, bailers, boathooks and extra rowlocks were jumbled together in confusion.
As it neared the wharf, Marghe heard the breath of women pulling oars and the creak of rowlocks, and the sounds of laughter drifting over the water.
Thus the hours passed, and the oars Plied without pause, and nothing but the sound Of the dull rowlocks and still watery sough, Far off, the carnage of the storm, was heard.
To climb down into the boat was a simple matter, but it had only just been accomplished when there came the noise of oars in rowlocks, from the other side of the hulk, followed by the sound of voices.
Only one thing was different about this boat —in addition to the usual sweeps and rowlocks (which were demounted and strapped to the inside of the hull) it had at the stem a stout fitting to which a pair of traces were snapped, and at the bow twin rings, through which two leather straps came and rested on the forward thwart.
While the sloop wallowed under bare poles, he helped Korendir slot rowlocks into her toerail and benches to the cockpit lockers.
Instantly a creaking of ropes, a simultaneous grunt of effort, fifty men, the picked champions of the Ragnarsson army, throwing their mighty weight on the ropes attached to the spiked rowlocks.