belaying pin

noun

, Nautical.

1. a short, round bar of metal or wood, inserted in a fife rail or pin rail, to which a rope is belayed.

belaying pin

noun

1. nautical a cylindrical, sometimes tapered pin, usually of metal or wood, that fits into a hole in a pin or fife rail: used for belaying

Word History and Origins

Origin of belaying pin¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

“Get out of here, and stay away from this boy. If I see you in here again, I’ll give you a taste of a belaying pin!’

From Literature

Spanker league belaying pin snow rope’s end barque spyglass.

From Seattle Times

Among the well-preserved and often poignant items recovered from the Erebus are the ship’s bell, part of its wheel, several belaying pins, china plates, a cannon and a ceramic pot labelled “anchovy paste”.

From The Guardian

Rope is looped around metal dowels called belaying pins that sit in a horizontal steel bar called a pin rail.

From Washington Post

I staggered up as bidden, and in a moment he had secured me with a rope to a belaying pin amidships, beneath the bridge.

From Project Gutenberg