forecastle

[ fohk-suh l, fawr-kas-uh l, -kah-suh l, fohr- ]

/ ˈfoʊk səl, ˈfɔrˌkæs əl, -ˌkɑ səl, ˈfoʊr- /

noun Nautical.

a superstructure at or immediately aft of the bow of a vessel, used as a shelter for stores, machinery, etc., or as quarters for sailors.

any sailors' quarters located in the forward part of a vessel, as a deckhouse.

the forward part of the weather deck of a vessel, especially that part forward of the foremast.

Nearby words

foreboding, forebody, forebrain, forecaddie, forecast, forecastle, forecastle deck, forecastle head, forechoir, forecited, foreclose

Also fo'c's'le, fo'c'sle.

Origin of forecastle

First recorded in 1300–50, forecastle is from the Middle English word forcastel. See fore-, castle

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

Examples from the Web for forecastle

To-morrow it's going forward to the sick men in the forecastle.
For Jacinta|Harold Bindloss
Doctor Luke put his elbows on the forecastle table, his chin on his hands—and thus gazed, immovable, at young Docks.
Doctor Luke of the Labrador|Norman Duncan
A quartermaster, summoned from the forecastle, hoisted a block and tackle to a derrick.
His Unknown Wife|Louis Tracy
The sounds ceased, and there was a hail from the forecastle.
The Black Bar|George Manville Fenn

Scattered about the forecastle lay the dead bodies of the crew.
The Sea Rovers|Rufus Rockwell Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for forecastle

forecastle

fo'c's'le or fo'c'sle

/ (ˈfəʊksəl) /

noun

the part of a vessel at the bow where the crew is quartered and stores, machines, etc, may be stowed

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