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Synonyms

bowsprit

American  
[bou-sprit, boh-] / ˈbaʊ sprɪt, ˈboʊ- /

noun

Nautical.

  1. a spar projecting from the upper end of the bow of a sailing vessel, for holding the tacks of various jibs or stays and often supporting a jib boom.

bowsprit British  
/ ˈbəʊsprɪt /

noun

  1. nautical a spar projecting from the bow of a vessel, esp a sailing vessel, used to carry the headstay as far forward as possible

"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

Etymology

Origin of bowsprit

1300–50; Middle English bouspret < Middle Low German bōchspret (cognate with Dutch boegsprit ) ( bōch bow 3 + spret pole, cognate with Old English sprēot )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Instead, as he described himself, “I am merely the bowsprit of a ship that is going to cut through the armada of secrecy, corruption, and lies.”

From Slate • Oct. 10, 2023

But Dutreux said he didn’t see the American boat, which had the right of way, and crashed his bowsprit into the 11th Hour hull.

From Washington Times • Jun. 16, 2023

The 40-foot, two-handed boat Avalanche pulled out with a broken bowsprit shortly after the start and Yeah Baby was forced out with rudder damage after being hit by a sail fish late Monday.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 26, 2022

Fast and agile, he had a superior vertical leap and used his 7-foot-4 wingspan to block shots with his arm outstretched like a bowsprit.

From Washington Post • Jul. 31, 2022

My gaze tracks up the arm until I see that I am being held by the ship’s figurehead—a wooden maiden carved into the bow, beneath the bowsprit pole.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.