bow·sprit

(bou′sprĭt′, bō′-)

n. Nautical

A spar, extending forward from the stem of a ship, to which the stays of the foremast are fastened.

[Middle English bouspret, possibly from Middle Low German bōchsprēt : bōch, bow; see bheug- in Indo-European roots + sprēt, sprit; see sper- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

bowsprit

(ˈbəʊsprɪt)

(Nautical Terms) nautical a spar projecting from the bow of a vessel, esp a sailing vessel, used to carry the headstay as far forward as possible

[C13: from Middle Low German bōchsprēt, from bōch bow³ + sprēt pole]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bow•sprit

(ˈbaʊ sprɪt, ˈboʊ-)

n.

a spar projecting from the upper end of the bow of a sailing vessel.

[1300–50; Middle English bouspret < Middle Low German bōchspret=bōch bow³ + spret pole]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

bowsprit - a spar projecting from the bow of a vessel

spar - a stout rounded pole of wood or metal used to support rigging

Translations

beaupréliaison de type beaupré

bompresso

бушприт

bowsprit

[ˈbəʊsprɪt] N → bauprés m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

bowsprit

n → Bugspriet nt or m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

bowsprit

[ˈbəʊˌsprɪt] n (Naut) → bompresso

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

During all this time the ship lay rolling in the trough of the sea, the heavy surges breaking over her, and the spars heaving and banging to and fro, bruising the half-drowned sailors that clung to the bowsprit and the stumps of the masts.

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Then the bowsprit got mixed with the rudder sometimes: A thing, as the Bellman remarked, That frequently happens in tropical climes, When a vessel is, so to speak, "snarked."

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With your leave, I mean to post myself under the bowsprit, and, if we get within harpooning distance, I shall throw my harpoon."

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The three men at her mast-head wore long streamers of narrow red bunting at their hats; from the stern, a whale-boat was suspended, bottom down; and hanging captive from the bowsprit was seen the long lower jaw of the last whale they had slain.

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He came down out of the tangle of ropes under the stays of the smashed bowsprit, some small rope caught his heel as he let go, and he hung for a moment head downward, and then fell and struck a block or spar floating in the water.

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And where but from Nantucket, too, did that first adventurous little sloop put forth, partly laden with imported cobble-stones --so goes the story --to throw at the whales, in order to discover when they were nigh enough to risk a harpoon from the bowsprit? Now having a night, a day, and still another night following before me in New Bedford, ere I could embark for my destined port, it became a matter of concernment where I was to eat and sleep meanwhile.

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In the morning, Thomas Mugridge being duly bribed, the galley is pleasantly areek with the odour of their frying; while dolphin meat is served fore and aft on such occasions as Johnson catches the blazing beauties from the bowsprit end.

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The HISPANIOLA rolled steadily, dipping her bowsprit now and then with a whiff of spray.

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One could not promenade without risking his neck; at one moment the bowsprit was taking a deadly aim at the sun in midheaven, and at the next it was trying to harpoon a shark in the bottom of the ocean.

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This fiery mass grew larger to their eyes, and fell, with the noise of thunder, upon the bowsprit, which it smashed close to the stem, and buried itself in the waves with a deafening roar!

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Martingale, bob-stays and all parted, as well as all starboard stays to the bowsprit, so that the bowsprit swung out to port at right angles and uplifted to the drag of the remaining topmast stays.

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I saw Big Alec dive overboard and his mate leap for our bowsprit. Then came the crash as we struck the boat, and a series of grinding bumps as it passed under our bottom.

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