bulkhead

American  

[buhlk-hed] / ˈbʌlkˌhɛd /

noun

• bulkheads
  plural

1. Nautical. any of various wall-like constructions inside a vessel, as for forming watertight compartments, subdividing space, or strengthening the structure.

2. Aeronautics. a transverse partition or reinforcing frame in the body of an airplane.

3. Civil Engineering.

   1. a partition built in a subterranean passage to prevent the passage of air, water, or mud.

   2. a retaining structure of timber, steel, or reinforced concrete, used for shore protection and in harbor works.

4. Building Trades.

   1. a horizontal or inclined outside door over a stairway leading to a cellar.

   2. a boxlike structure, as on a roof, covering a stairwell or other opening.

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bulkhead British  

/ ˈbʌlkˌhɛd /

noun

1. any upright wall-like partition in a ship, aircraft, vehicle, etc

2. a wall or partition built to hold back earth, fire, water, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bulkheaded
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bulkheads
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of bulkhead

First recorded in 1490–1500; bulk ² + head

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Explanation

The divider or wall between sections of a plane or large ship is called a bulkhead. When you're seated in first class on a jet, there's a bulkhead between you and the pilot's cabin. The bulkhead you're most likely to see is in a commercial airliner, dividing the flight crew from the passengers and sometimes the first class flyers from those in coach. Other vehicles have them too, including submarines and ships — these bulkheads help strengthen the vessels and keep different areas watertight. The Old Norse root of bulkhead is bálkr, "partition."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bulkhead bulkheads

It’s reinforcing the boardwalk with lumber and using the aforementioned 3,000-pound sandbags to “deflect wave energy on the beach side of the bulkhead, the seawall,” Martin said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

For outdoor adventure enthusiasts, there is also a new dock with concrete pilings, boat and jet ski lifts, and vinyl bulkhead that are situated on a 75 x 160 waterfront lot.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 12, 2026

He learned to never sit near the bulkhead where bassinets frequently were placed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026

Extent of the flooding if the bulkhead had been watertight.

From Barron's ● Dec. 2, 2025

A stagnant bilge along the lower bulkhead filled with wet papers and trash.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

Officials have long known the height of the city’s historic seawalls and bulkheads, which were built in the early to mid-1900s, would not hold up to rising tides.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

It also found design standards to be "poor with all the vessels lacking watertight bulkheads, doors and hatches".

From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2025

The city undertook an emergency project to install two new bulkheads to repair washouts from the storm, with construction costs totaling nearly $4.9 million, according to a report from the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2024

The effects of individual bulkheads travel far beyond their footprint, recent science has shown, affecting not just the area directly ahead of it but the flow of sediment and waves all along the shore.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2024

Quiet as kittens, the water lapped at the boats and the bulkheads.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

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