quick-workn.
/ˈkwɪkwəːk/, U.S. /ˈkwɪkˌwərk/ Nautical. Now chiefly historical.
1. The parts of a ship's hull which are below the waterline when the ship is fully loaded, as opposed to the dead-work (dead-work n. 1).
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1666 Philos. Trans. 1665–6 (Royal Soc.) 1 190 The Portugals scorch their ships, insomuch that in the quick works [Fr. oeuures viues] there is made a coaly crust of about an Inch thick.
1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine (at cited word) Quick-Work, œuvres-vives, a general name given to all that part of a ship, which is under the surface of the water when she is laden fit for a sea-voyage.
1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine sig. *I 4 v [French] Ouevre vives [sic], the quick-work, or all that part of a ship which is under water.
1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Quick-Work, Generally signifies all that part of a ship which is under water when she is laden.
1972 P. O'Brian Post Captain vii. 182 Those strange sliding keels and the nameless peculiarity of her quickwork did not mean that the water poured straight in.
1997 S.F. Glaser tr. M. Serres Troubadour Knowl. 126 Since the quickwork and deadwork had disappeared beneath the water, almost the entire crew occupied the heights, masts and rigging.
2. Various parts of a ship's hull above the waterline; (originally) parts of the hull's outer skin above the waterline, (in later use also) parts of the hull between and above the decks; spec. the planking of the bulwarks, or that part of the inner upperworks above the covering board. Cf. spirketting n.
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > parts of vessels > part of vessel above water > [noun]
cage1555
cage-worka1618
dead-work1653
quick-work1711
floatage1839
1711 W. Sutherland Ship-builders Assistant 162 Quick-work; that part of a Ship's Sides both within and without Board, above the Channel-wales and Decks.
1730 W. Wriglesworth MS Log-bk. of ‘Lyell’ 21 Sept. This morning begun to Caulk the Quick Work on the Quarter deck.
1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine (at cited word) Quick-Work..is also applied, occasionally, to that part of the side which is above the sheer-rail, and which is usually painted with trophies, &c. on the outside.
1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine Transl. French Terms sig. *M 2v Vibord, the quick-work, or that part of a ship's side..comprehended between the drift-rails and the waist-rail.
1850 J. Greenwood Sailor's Sea-bk. 139 Quickwork. A denomination given to the strakes which shut in between the spirketing and clamps.
1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Quick-Work..is also applied to that part of the inner upperworks of a ship above the covering board. Also, the short planks worked inside between the ports... In general parlance quick-work is synonymous with spirketting.
1948 Mariner's Mirror 34 236 It was necessary to open up the quick work (or inner skin) of the ship in many places between decks.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1666