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• becket
  becket

  noun

  a short length of rope for securing spars, coils of rope, etc., having an eye at one end and a thick knot or a toggle at the other, which is passed through the eye.
• Becket
  Becket

  noun

  Saint Thomas à, 1118?–70, archbishop of Canterbury: murdered because of his opposition to Henry II's policies toward the church.

becket

¹ American  

[bek-it] / ˈbɛk ɪt /

noun

Nautical.

1. a short length of rope for securing spars, coils of rope, etc., having an eye at one end and a thick knot or a toggle at the other, which is passed through the eye.

2. a grommet of rope, as one used as a handle or oarlock.

3. a grommet or eye on a block to which the standing end of a fall can be secured.

4. a wooden cleat or hook secured to the shrouds of a sailing vessel to hold tacks and sheets not in use.

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Becket ² American  

[bek-it] / ˈbɛk ɪt /

noun

1. Saint Thomas à, 1118?–70, archbishop of Canterbury: murdered because of his opposition to Henry II's policies toward the church.

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becket ¹ British  

/ ˈbɛkɪt /

noun

1. a clevis forming part of one end of a sheave, used for securing standing lines by means of a thimble

2. a short line with a grommet or eye at one end and a knot at the other, used for securing spars or other gear in place

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Becket ² British  

/ ˈbɛkɪt /

noun

1. Saint Thomas à . 1118–70, English prelate; chancellor (1155–62) to Henry II; archbishop of Canterbury (1162–70): murdered following his opposition to Henry's attempts to control the clergy. Feast day: Dec 29 or July 7

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Etymology

Origin of becket

First recorded in 1760–70; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

becket Becket

I slipped the wheel into the becket, and crept to the edge of the skylights.

From The Blood Ship by Springer, Norman

They had also darts with barbed edges, which they threw from a becket or sort of sling fixed to the hand.

From Twice Lost by Stanilard, C.J.

As we hauled up the boat, the second mate told Sam to take his harpoon-iron on shore for him, to have the hole for the becket punched larger.

From Jacob Faithful by Marryat, Frederick

And not till then did our skipper, ten hours to the wheel, unclinch his grip, hook the becket to a spoke, slat his sou’wester on the wheel-box and ease his mind.

From The Seiners by Connolly, James B. (James Brendan)

They use a becket, in the same manner as at Tanna, in throwing the dart, which, I believe, is much used in striking fish, &c.

From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 14 by Kerr, Robert

Thus was born the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty—which Viet Dinh, a former assistant attorney general, calls “God’s ACLU.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

In short, Becket is where men and women representing a variety of strong religious beliefs find common ground without compromising their principles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

On our way there, we stopped in Heptonstall, a tiny town above Hebden Bridge, where Sylvia Plath is buried in the St. Thomas A’ Becket churchyard.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026

Ruth, a fashion designer who quits the high-pressure world to become a teacher, acts as a contrast to the hustle culture-inspired ambitions of wannabe billionaire Becket, Henwick says.

From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026

Becket, this decision was appealed from, and the issue was carried to the highest tribunal, the House of Lords.

From Copyright: Its History and Its Law by Bowker, Richard Rogers