fly block


nounMachinery, Nautical.
  1. (in a Spanish burton or the like) a block, supported by a runner, through which the hauling part of the fall is rove.

  2. any block that shifts with the movement of its tackle.

Origin of fly block

1
First recorded in 1835–45

Words Nearby fly block

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fly block in a sentence

  • The halyards should be a luff purchase, the fly-block being the double block, and the single block being hooked in the channels.

    The Seaman's Friend | Richard Henry Dana
  • Reeve the end of your rope through the upper block, and make it fast to the strap of the fly-block.

    The Seaman's Friend | Richard Henry Dana
  • Then make fast your hook to the bight of the rope, and reeve the other end through the fly-block for a fall.

    The Seaman's Friend | Richard Henry Dana
  • Have the fly-block of the topsail halyards above the top, and rack the runner to the topmast backstay or after shroud.

    The Seaman's Friend | Richard Henry Dana
  • Luck is like a fly-block and its yard: when one goes up, the other comes down.

    The Red Rover | James Fenimore Cooper