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snatch block

noun Nautical.
  1. a fairlead having the form of a block that can be opened to receive the bight of a rope at any point along its length.
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Origin of snatch block

First recorded in 1615–25
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for snatch block

Historical Examples of snatch block

  • Turn that snatch-block, Cully, and tighten up the watch-tackle.

    Tom Grogan

    F. Hopkinson Smith

  • It was Danny Fayle's duty to lead the warp through a snatch-block fixed to the mast-hole on to the capstan.

  • It is called a snatch-block and often employed for drawing water from wells, or for hoisting light weights.

  • Davy, the boy, led the warp through a snatch-block fixed to the mast-hole on to the capstan.

    The Deemster

    Hall Caine

  • A snatch-block is a single block having a notch in one cheek to receive the bight of a fall.

    The Gunner's Examiner

    Harold E. Cloke

British Dictionary definitions for snatch block

snatch block

noun
  1. nautical a block that can be opened so that a rope can be inserted from the side, without threading it through from the end
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Word Origin for snatch block

C17: so called because the rope can be inserted quickly: figuratively, the block snatches it. See snatch
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