oarhole
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English ore hol, equivalent to oar + hole.
Noun edit
oarhole (plural oarholes)
- (nautical) a slot or opening in the side of a galley or ship through which an oar is fitted
- 2016, William R. Short, Icelanders in the Viking Age:
- Oarholes were sealed when not in use by wooden covers that rotated in place to keep out water. A slot cut into the oarhole allowed the blade of the oar to pass through the oarhole so oars could be deployed entirely inboard of the ship.