spritsail yardarmn.
/ˈsprɪts(ə)l ˌjɑːdɑːm/, /ˈsprɪtseɪl ˌjɑːdɑːm/, U.S. /ˈsprɪtsəl ˌjɑrdˌɑrm/, /ˈsprɪtˌseɪl ˌjɑrdˌɑrm/ Nautical. Now historical.
The outer extremity of a spritsail yard.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > masts, rigging, or sails > spar > [noun] > yard > either end of
yardarm?a1554
spritsail yardarm1618
main-yard-arma1661
1618 E. Heynes Jrnl. in S. Purchas Pilgrimes (1625) I. v. v. 627 The ship was in danger to haue beene burnt, one taking Tobacco in the sprit-saile yard arme, and the cole falling in a fold of the saile.
1762 T. Smollett Adventures Sir Launcelot Greaves I. vii. 157 I have seen Davy Jones in the shape of a blue flame,..on the spritsail yard arm.
1850 W. Fisher Petrel II. v. 111 Darby Darcie, seated across the spritsail yard-arm, harpoon in hand.
1960 D. Pope Decision at Trafalgar vii. 89 (caption) The deep-sea lead is being heaved by a man on the spritsail yardarm.
2004 Naut. Res. Jrnl. 49 24/2 Boudriot separates these two lines, roving them through a block on the spritsail yardarm.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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