rack-stickn.
/ˈrakstɪk/, U.S. /ˈrækˌstɪk/ A piece of wood used for tightening a knot in a rope or rope-lashing.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > wood > wood in specific form > [noun] > stick, twig, or rod > for other uses
winding1405
hoop-pole1645
hoop-stick1678
rack-stick1821
long small1852
frithles1881
1821 Edinb. Advertiser 13 July 32/1 Francis Wood, Carrier between Edinburgh and Moffat..repeatedly struck William Steele..with a rack-stick, to the bereavement of his life.
1822 Exercise of Mil. Bridges of Casks (Royal Engineer Dept. Chatham) 15 The rack sticks and lashings to be laid in the four intervals between the extreme casks of each pier.
1892 F. Irwin Notes Fortif. (ed. 2) x. 156 Rack-lashing, a rack stick and lashing consisting of a wooden pointed stick about 2-ft. long, to which is secured about 8-ft. of rope.
1918 E. S. Farrow Dict. Mil. Terms 486 Rack-stick and lashing, a piece of two inch rope, about 6 feet long, fastened to a picket about 15 inches long, having a hole in its head to receive the rope.
1968 Amer. Antiq. 33 453 I have experimented with every conceivable type of holding device, including the modern carpenter's vise, rack sticks, tourniquets and even levers.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1821