derrick
/ˈdɛrɪk
/noun
1A kind of crane with a movable pivoted arm for moving heavy weights, especially on a ship.The derrick cranes being used for erection were then moved forward to the next segment and the cycle was repeated....
- The vessel to be fitted with winches, derricks, wheels and ordinary runners capable of handling lifts up to 2 tons.
- Today, two derrick cranes will move the heavy reactor and its related equipment to a trailer with 360 wheels on the pier.
2The framework over an oil well or similar boring, holding the drilling machinery.Soon drilling derricks, pipelines and roads carved up the region, and oil spills polluted lakes and rivers....
- Oil wells no longer require derricks, so west county's 7,000 rickety towers are largely gone.
- There were oil derricks and natural gas pipelines, grain elevators six stories high.
Origin
Early 17th century (denoting a hangman, also the gallows): from Derrick, the surname of a London hangman.
Derrick was first used to mean either the gallows or a hangman, and comes from the name of a London hangman who worked around 1600. This was then transferred to a tackle on a ship's mast, and from there extended to any hoisting device.
Rhymes
- multiple star
- multiple superparticular
- multiple superpartient
- multiple switchboard
- multiplet
- multiple tangent
- multiple twin
- multiple unit
- multiple use
- multiple valve
- multiplex
- multiplexer
- multiplexity
- multipliable
- multiplicability
- multiplicable
- multiplicand
- electric bridge
- electric bulb
- electric cable
- electric candle
- electric car
- electric chair
- electric charge
- electric chime