ring ropen.
/ˈrɪŋ rəʊp/, U.S. /ˈrɪŋ ˌroʊp/ 1. A rope attached to or passing through a ring; spec. (Nautical) a rope used to make the anchor cable of a ship more secure during bad weather.
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > anchoring equipment > [noun] > rope through ring of anchor
ring rope1693
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > anchoring equipment > [noun] > rope fastening cable to deck ring-bolt
ring rope1693
1693 J. Tutchin New Martyrol. 526 A Captain of W—— was hang'd, and the Rope broke, whereby he hoped to have saved his life; but they took from a Market-horse a Ring-Rope, and hanged him again.
1803 in D. Knox Naval Documents U.S. Wars Barbary Powers (1941) III. 32 The cables..must be bitted, and the stoppers and ring ropes in readiness, also canvass and cable plats.
1815 W. Burney Falconer's New Universal Dict. Marine (rev. ed.) Ring-ropes, short pieces of rope, tied occasionally to the ring-bolts of the deck, to fasten the cable more securely when the ship rides in a tempest.
1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Ring-Ropes, ropes rove through the ring of the anchor, to haul the cable through it.
1898 A. Ansted Dict. Sea Terms 220 Ring-ropes, ropes which were sometimes made fast at intervals to hempen cables so as to give them greater power in holding the ship against heavy seas. Hence a rope used in the same manner on any hawser may be called a ring rope.
1910 G. H. Evans Elephants & their Dis. i. iv. 46 Now loosen the nearside ring-rope, pull the girth as tight as possible and make fast.
1921 W. Beebe Edge of Jungle ix. 202 Once my ring rope slipped and the hammock settled.
2006 S. P. MacKenzie Colditz Myth x. 333 This time a grappling hook with a long ring rope attached would be thrown from a window and catch on the fence beyond the moat wall.
2. Any of the cords marking off a ring, esp. a boxing or wrestling ring. Often in plural (cf. rope n.1 2e).
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society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > fighting sports > boxing > [noun] > ring > ropes
ropes1807
ring rope1905
1905 S. Galvayne 20th Cent. Bk. Horse 32 You should place yourself in a position about the length of your whip from the moving animal, and nearly the same distance from the fence or ring ropes.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. 306 The Santry boy was declared victor to the frenzied cheers of the public who broke through the ringropes and fairly mobbed him with delight.
1942 J. Masefield Generation Risen 30 The seconds' faces Watch through the ring-ropes.
1963 Ebony July 132/2 (caption) Fatal injury, which, according to doctors, occurred when Moore's head hit bottom ring rope.
1995 G. L. Early How War in Streets is Won ii. 46 His head Tilted slightly sideways and back, so it seemed against the rough ring rope.
2006 A. O. Edmonds Muhammad Ali viii. 117 He hinted darkly at various conspiracies—including nefariously loosened ring ropes, a quick count by the referee, even drugged water—to account for his stunning defeat.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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