| 释义 |
grapnel, n.|ˈgræpnəl|
Forms: 4–7 grapenel(le, 6–9 grapnell, 7 grabnel(l, (grapnail), 9 grapnall, 6– grapnel.
[a. AF. *grapenel, dim. of grapon, of the same meaning; cf. mod.F. grapin, grappin grapnel.]
1. An instrument with iron claws intended to be thrown by a rope for the purpose of seizing and holding an object, esp. an enemy's ship.
Quots. 1373, 1485–6, may belong to 2.
1373in H. T. Riley Lond. Mem. (1868) 369, 1 grapenel, 1 cheyne. c1385Chaucer L.G.W. 640 Cleopatra, In goth the grapenel so ful of crokes Among the ropes, and the shering-hokes. 1485–6Naval Acc., Hen. VII (1896) 45 Grapenelles of Iren with chenes. 1679Lond. Gaz. No. 1393/1 His men..cry'd out, Cut away; which they did..leaving on Board us their Grapnails. 1878A. S. Mackenzie Paul Jones I. iii. 59 (Funk) The grapnels were triced up to the yard-arms, ready for falling on the enemy's decks. 1884Mil. Engineering I. ii. 100 Grapnels may be used for escalading.
†b. A harpoon. Obs.
1663Pepys Diary 6 May, They have catched often, in Greenland, whales with the iron grapnells that had formerly been struck into their bodies covered over with fat.
2. A small anchor with three or more flukes, used esp. for boats, and for securing a balloon on its descent. † to come to grapnel: to come to anchor.
[1373,1485–6: see 1.] 1556W. Towrson in Hakluyt Voy. (1589) 101 We wayed our Grapnel and went away. 1624Capt. Smith Virginia ii. 24 Having lost our Grapnell among the rocks. 1631E. Pellham Mirac. Preserv. Englishm. Greenland 16 Casting our Grabnell or Anchor over-board. 1748Anson's Voy. iii. vii. 360 Eighteen half gallies..came to grapnel a-head of the Centurion. 1836Marryat Midsh. Easy xxiii. 87 The boats were to..drop their grapnels till daylight. 1864Daily Tel. 10 June, The grapnel was lowered; it took the ground at once; and the balloon slowly descended.
transf. and fig.1851H. Melville Whale ii. 8 With anxious grapnels I had sounded my pocket. 1857Hughes Tom Brown ii. ii, To lay hold of the working boys and young men of England by any educational grapnel whatever. 1877Thomson Voy. Challenger I. iii. 176 The form of the spicules which make up the structure of the substance of the sponge, and the form of the double grapnel of the sarcode.
3. A name for various implements for grasping or clutching (see quots.).
1875Knight Dict. Mech., Grapnalls, a heavy tongs used for dragging logs, chunks, stones, etc. 1881Raymond Mining Gloss., Grapnel, an implement for removing the core left by an annular drill in a bore-hole, or for recovering tools, fragments, etc., fallen into the hole.
4. attrib. and Comb., as grapnel-anchor, grapnel-rope; grapnel-plant = grapple-plant (see grapple n. 6).
1706in Phillips (ed. Kersey), *Grapnel-Anchors, a sort of Anchors..without Stocks, and having four Flooks.
1631E. Pellham Mirac. Preserv. Englishm. Greenland 21 Taking up an old Harping Iron..& fastning a *Grapnell Roape unto it, out lanch't wee our Boate. 1711W. Sutherland Shipbuild. Assist. 133 Grapnel-rope Cabl'd. 1867Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Grapnel-rope, that which is bent to the grapnel by which a boat rides, now substituted by chain.
Hence ˈgrapnel v. trans., to catch or seize with a grapnel.
1890Pall Mall G. 2 June 5/1 His balloon, in descending, grapnelled a tree, and he was dashed to the ground. |