apeak

or a·peek

[ uh-peek ]

/ əˈpik /

Nautical

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adjective

more or less vertical.

(of a dropped anchor) as nearly vertical as possible without being free of the bottom.

(of an anchored vessel) having the anchor cable as nearly vertical as possible without freeing the anchor.

adverb

vertically.

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Origin of apeak

First recorded in 1590–1600; a-¹ + peak¹

Words nearby apeak

apatosaurus, APB, APC, A-P-C virus, ape, apeak, APEC, ape hangers, Apeldoorn, Apelles, apellous

How to use apeak in a sentence

After they had gone on in this way a few minutes, Forester ordered the oars apeak, and put the crew at ease.
Marco Paul's Voyages and Travels; Vermont|Jacob Abbott
The donkey winch soon began its work, and I felt the great anchor at length break away and come apeak.
The Lady and the Pirate|Emerson Hough
Apeak, when the cable is hove taut, so as to bring the vessel nearly over the anchor.
Every Boy's Book: A Complete Encyclopdia of Sports and Amusements|Various
Both parties appeared for some seconds as if spellbound, and the oars on both rafts were for a while held “apeak.”
The Ocean Waifs|Mayne Reid

Their anchors were apeak, and they were ready to get under way at a moment's notice.
A Short History of the Royal Navy 1217 to 1688|David Hannay

British Dictionary definitions for apeak

apeak

/ (əˈpiːk) /

adverb, adjective

nautical in a vertical or almost vertical positionwith the oars apeak

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012