| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| bowline |
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| SYLLABICATION: | bow·line |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  b  l n, -l n |
| NOUN: | 1. Nautical A rope attached to the weather leech of a square sail to hold the leech forward when sailing close-hauled. 2. A knot forming a loop that does not slip. | | IDIOM: | on a bowline Nautical Close-hauled. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English bouline, probably from Middle Danish bovline or Middle Low German blne, both from Middle Low German bch lne : bch, bow; see bheug- in Appendix I + lne, line (from Latin lnea; see line1).
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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