leech rope

American  

noun

Nautical.

1. a boltrope along a leech.

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Etymology

Origin of leech rope

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

Half a dozen of the ship’s boys were floundering about in the sails, and sometimes even venturing beyond the leech rope.

From Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy A weird series of tales of shipwreck and disaster, from the earliest part of the century to the present time, with accounts of providential escapes and heart-rending fatalities. by Anonymous

Half-a-dozen of the ship's boys, youngsters sent on board by that admirable and most patriotic of naval institutions, the Marine Society, were floundering about in the sail, and sometimes even venturing beyond the leech rope.

From The Lieutenant and Commander Being Autobigraphical Sketches of His Own Career, from Fragments of Voyages and Travels by Hall, Basil