bitt

[ bit ]

/ bɪt /

Nautical

noun

Also called bollard. a strong post of wood or iron projecting, usually in pairs, above the deck of a ship, used for securing cables, lines for towing, etc.

verb (used with object)

to wrap (a cable) around a bitt to secure it.

Nearby words

bitrochanteric, bitser, bitstock, bitstream, bitsy, bitt, bitten, bitter, bitter almond, bitter almond oil, bitter apple

Origin of bitt

Middle English, perhaps < Dutch or Low German; compare Dutch, Low German beting, in same sense, akin to Middle High German bizze wooden peg, Old Norse biti crossbeam

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bitt

A small silver coin of the West Indies, six of which make a bitt.
The Sailor's Word-Book|William Henry Smyth
Cadogan, having found his coat, laid it on a bitt near by while he should launch his little raft.
Sonnie-Boy's People|James B. Connolly
He took a turn of his falls around the bitt, and, always with one eye peeping sidewise into the shadows, reached for his coat.
Sonnie-Boy's People|James B. Connolly
And Pencroft showed a rope which fastened the cable to the bitt itself.
The Secret of the Island|W.H.G. Kingston (translation from Jules Verne)

It will be seen that two out of the three readers particularly interested in Mr. Bitt's splash were agreeably interested.
Once Aboard The Lugger|Arthur Stuart-Menteth Hutchinson

British Dictionary definitions for bitt

bitt

/ (bɪt) nautical /

noun

one of a pair of strong posts on the deck of a ship for securing mooring and other lines

another word for bollard (def. 1)

verb

(tr) to secure (a line) by means of a bitt

Word Origin for bitt

C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse biti cross beam, Middle High German bizze wooden peg

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