pelican hook

American

noun

a hooklike device for holding the link of a chain or the like, consisting of a long shackle with a hinged rod held closed with a sliding ring.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Halfway across, a pelican hook popped, and Durgin nosedived into the drink, while Oldendorf plopped in "backside first you might say."

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023