Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A device, such as a looped rope, hook and eye, strap, or grommet, used to hold or fasten loose ropes, spars, or oars in position.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Same as becker.
  • noun Nautical: A short piece of rope, with a knot at one end and an eye in the other, for temporarily confining ropes or small spars.
  • noun A handle made of a rope grommet or ring.
  • noun A wooden cleat or hook, fastened on the fore- or main-rigging of a ship, for the tacks and sheets to lie in when not in use.
  • noun A rope grommet in the bottom of a block for securing the standing end of the fall.
  • noun A cant term for a trousers-pocket.
  • noun A large hook used in loading logs on cars by means of tackle.
  • noun In marine hardware, a brass or iron ring forming a part of a metal block, the block and becket being cast in one piece.
  • To fasten or provide with beckets.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Naut.) A small grommet, or a ring or loop of rope or metal for holding things in position, as spars, ropes, etc.; also a bracket, a pocket, or a handle made of rope.
  • noun Prov. Eng. A spade for digging turf.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun nautical A short piece of rope spliced to form a circle
  • noun nautical The clevis of a pulley block.
  • noun An eye in the end of a rope.
  • noun A method of joining fabric, for example the doors of a tent, by interlacing loops of cord (beckets) through eyelet holes and adjacent loops.
  • noun UK, dialect A spade for digging turf.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun (nautical) a short line with an eye at one end and a knot at the other; used to secure loose items on a ship
  • noun (Roman Catholic Church) archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to 1170; murdered following his opposition to Henry II's attempts to control the clergy (1118-1170)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Origin unknown.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Compare Dutch bek ("beak") beak, and English beak.

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Examples

  • In throwing them they make use of a becket, that is, a piece of stiff plaited cord about six inches long, with an eye in one end and a knot at the other.

    A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 14 Robert Kerr 1784

  • 'Twas triced up in a-- a kind of becket, as you might say, made out of velvet -- yes, sir, by creepin ', velvet!

    Fair Harbor Joseph Crosby Lincoln 1907

  • (“Voyages of Captain Cook round the World,” vol. i., chapter vi.) says that in the throwing of darts “they make use of the becket, that is, a piece of stiff plaited cord, about six inches long, with an eye in one end and a knot in the other.

    Tropic Days 2003

  • Describing some of the arts of the inhabitants of Tanna, Cook ( "Voyages of Captain Cook round the World," vol. i., chapter vi.) says that in the throwing of darts "they make use of the becket, that is, a piece of stiff plaited cord, about six inches long, with an eye in one end and a knot in the other.

    Tropic Days 1887

  • October 14, 2008 at 4:57 am lolrus said bukket not becket!

    i can waits - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008

  • Matilda in later life actually ended up being one of those people who once was important so in the time of becket and Eleanor she had become a nagging and cantankerous woman till her death.

    Becket Carolingian 2007

  • I have becket my vonderbilt hutch in sunsmidnought and at morningrise was encampassed of mushroofs.

    Finnegans Wake 2006

  • November 24th, 2008 at 7:41 am goodman armstrong creek school district spalding county ga school system nyc school calander thomas a becket school bandys high school football kuldetitir Says:

    Matthew Yglesias » Articles 2004

  • They hold the dart between the thumb and the remaining finger, which serve only to give direction, the velocity being communicated by the becket and forefinger.

    Tropic Days 2003

  • Hornblower took the glass from its becket and walked forward.

    Hornblower And The Hotspur Forester, C. S. 1962

Comments

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  • "6. A cant term for a trousers-pocket." --Cent. Dict.

    September 14, 2011

  • There's a hole in my becket.

    Feck it!

    September 14, 2011

  • A sailboat's a thicket of slang:

    A salt links the gaff to the vang

    Or he may connect it

    By means of a becket

    That hooks up a shroud to a tang.

    December 22, 2016