noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A mitred backing timber which extends the after line of the rabbet in the stem to give extra support to the ends of the planks and the bowsprit.
2. 2
   A bollard or bitt.
3. 3
   Either of two timbers rising from the keel of a sailing ship and supporting the inner end of the bowsprit.

Etymology

From knight + head; sometimes decorated with a carving of a man's head.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.