snatch block

noun Nautical.

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

Words nearby snatch block

snarl-up, snarler, snarly, snash, snatch, snatch block, snatch squad, snatchy, snath, snazzy, sncc
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for snatch block

British Dictionary definitions for snatch block

snatch block

noun

nautical a block that can be opened so that a rope can be inserted from the side, without threading it through from the end

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