Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A hitch made in a line to shorten it.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The shank or leg of a sheep; hence, something lank, slender, or weak: in the quotation applied to a bridge.
- noun Nautical, a kind of knot, hitch, or bend made on a rope to shorten it temporarily.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Naut.) A hitch by which a rope may be temporarily shortened.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A type of
knot which is useful for shortening arope or taking upslack .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a knot for shortening a line
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The next day, we all commenced in earnest our studies in navigation and seamanship, the naval instructor with his assistants working us up in our mathematics and imparting to us the elements of plane and spherical trigonometry; while the boatswain and his mates gave us practical lessons in the setting up of rigging and making of knots, so that there should be no chance of our mistaking a "sheepshank" for a "cat's paw," or a "Flemish eye" for a "grommet!"
Crown and Anchor Under the Pen'ant John B. [Illustrator] Greene
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Stupified as I was, some instinct must have told me not to refuse Gallantin's invitation a second time-it's a good rule, as I hope I've demonstrated, that when scalp-hunters offer you a squaw, you should take her away quick and quiet, and if you don't fancy her, then teach her the two times table, or "Tintern Abbey", or how to tie a sheepshank.
Isabelle Estelle Bruno 2010
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Is there anything we can do to keep my illustrations with his stories? sheepshank
“I have an idea for a children’s book” « Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog 2008
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Although, I'd classify Thom as a good drawer of ugly people. sheepshank
Dean Beattie « Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog 2008
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Moeller gulped the last of his milk and rose, just in time to have a bubble of gas twist his intestine like a sailor knotting a sheepshank.
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Oaxyctl concentrated on joining two lines together with a sheepshank knot.
Crystal Rain 2006
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Oaxyctl held up the bight of a line, the loop flopping over, and tied a sheepshank.
Crystal Rain 2006
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Oaxyctl pulled the knot apart and demonstrated the bowline, the sheepshank, a simple square knot, and a sheet bend.
Crystal Rain 2006
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Stupified as I was, some instinct must have told me not to refuse Gallantin's invitation a second time-it's a good rule, as I hope I've demonstrated, that when scalp-hunters offer you a squaw, you should take her away quick and quiet, and if you don't fancy her, then teach her the two times table, or "Tintern Abbey", or how to tie a sheepshank.
Flashman and The Redskins Fraser, George MacDonald, 1925- 1982
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Stupified as I was, some instinct must have told me not to refuse Gallantin's invitation a second time-it's a good rule, as I hope I've demonstrated, that when scalp-hunters offer you a squaw, you should take her away quick and quiet, and if you don't fancy her, then teach her the two times table, or "Tintern Abbey", or how to tie a sheepshank.
Flashman And The Redskins Fraser, George MacDonald, 1925- 1982
reesetee commented on the word sheepshank
Used to shorten a rope temporarily; for example, for a topmast shroud when the topmast is lowered. Most yachts today use wire topmast shrouds instead of hemp ones, however. Each shroud has two joints, so that when the topmast is housed, the lowest joint is unshackled and stowed away, and the upper joint is set up with the tackle or lanyards.
January 9, 2008