cathead
English
editEtymology
editNoun
editcathead (plural catheads)
- (nautical) A heavy piece of timber projecting from each side of the bow of a ship for holding anchors which were fitted with a stock in position for letting go or for securing after weighing.
- (nautical) A decorative element at the end of said timber that often depicted a cat's head
- Similar rigging on the outside of a building.
- Short for cathead biscuit.
- 1969, Maya Angelou, chapter 6, in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →LCCN, page 36:
- The trick to eating catheads was to get the butter on them before they got cold—then they were delicious. When, unluckily, they were allowed to get cold, they tended to a gooeyness, not unlike a wad of tired gum.
Alternative forms
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editnautical: heavy piece of timber for holding an anchor in position
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