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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

Fasten a becket or loop of rope at a suitable position on the mast, to set the heel of the sprit into.

From St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, Vol. 5, January 1878, No. 3 by Mary Mapes Dodge

A becket, or piece of cord made of cocoa-nut bark, used in throwing their lances.

From A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1 by James Cook

Hand in hand they leaped into the sea; and Denman, towing the girl by the becket of her life-buoy, paid no attention to the sinking hull until satisfied that they were safe from the suction.

From The Wreck of the Titan or, Futility by Morgan Robertson

Tanner suddenly straightened up, and slipping the wheel swiftly into the becket, he ran to the taffrail and looked over the side.

From The Harbor of Doubt by George W. Gage

Have to leave the china in the becket for a while yet, but all that wants can make a mug-up, and when we get inside––if we do in anything like a decent hour––we’ll have breakfast.”

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

But the Little Sisters prevailed three times at the Supreme Court, and Becket will be at their side if they are forced to go back.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

It was for this reason Kevin “Seamus” Hasson, a Notre Dame alumnus and attorney with Williams & Connolly, founded Becket in 1994.

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

The copyright was sold by Millar's executors to Becket, who prosecuted Donaldson for piracy and obtained from Lord Chancellor Bathurst a perpetual injunction.

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