cathead

[ kat-hed ]

/ ˈkætˌhɛd /

noun Nautical.

a projecting timber or metal beam to which an anchor is hoisted and secured.

Words nearby cathead

cathar, catharine wheel, catharsis, cathartic, cathay, cathead, cathect, cathectic, cathedra, cathedral, cathedral ceiling

Origin of cathead

First recorded in 1620–30; cat + head

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

Examples from the Web for cathead

Cathead had done his best to keep the boys from going into the water, and he now began to urge them to come out.
Sube Cane|Edward Bellamy Partridge
Stucky and Cottontop were positive that Cathead would make an ideal girl, and they so expressed themselves.
Sube Cane|Edward Bellamy Partridge
The sound of Cathead's voice brought Sube back to his senses.
Sube Cane|Edward Bellamy Partridge
He hardly knew the difference between the cable and the cathead.
Jack in the Forecastle|John Sherburne Sleeper

In regard to their joint delinquencies Cathead had always been absolutely leak-proof.
Sube Cane|Edward Bellamy Partridge

British Dictionary definitions for cathead

cathead

/ (ˈkætˌhɛd) /

noun

a fitting at the bow of a vessel for securing the anchor when raised

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