cathead

American  

[kat-hed] / ˈkætˌhɛd /

noun

Nautical.

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

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cathead British  

/ ˈkætˌhɛd /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of cathead

First recorded in 1620–30; cat ( def. ) + head

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cathead

Her cathead biscuits were at least three inches in diameter and two inches thick.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

Watson carried the deep-sea lead forward, and the other men followed, each with fakes of the line coiled in his hand—Collins on the cathead, Sandy in the fore chains, and Jensen in the main chains.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

The whale crashed into the bows of the Essex, staving them completely in directly under the cathead.

From Bark Kathleen Sunk By A Whale by Thomas H. Jenkins

There’s a couple of chaps standin’ by her starboard cathead lookin’ at us under the sharp of their hands.

From Turned Adrift by Edward S. Hodgson

We showed, according to instructions, no light on deck; only a red lantern dropped from either cathead to within a couple of feet of the water.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 13 (of 25) by Robert Louis Stevenson

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