footrope

[ foo t-rohp ]
/ ˈfʊtˌroʊp /

noun Nautical.

the portion of the boltrope to which the lower edge of a sail is sewn.
a rope suspended a few feet beneath a yard, bowsprit, jib boom, or spanker boom to give a footing for a person handling sails.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of footrope

First recorded in 1765–75; foot + rope

Words nearby footrope

footplate, footprint, footprints on the sands of time, footrace, footrest, footrope, foots, footscraper, footsie, footslog, footsore
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for footrope

  • A footrope ran below the spar; one could balance oneself by its help and he vaguely distinguished somebody close by.

    Wyndham's Pal|Harold Bindloss

British Dictionary definitions for footrope

footrope
/ (ˈfʊtˌrəʊp) /

noun nautical

the part of a boltrope to which the foot of a sail is stitched
a rope fixed so as to hang below a yard to serve as a foothold
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