davit

Smaller davits fitted with blocks and tackles from which a dinghy is slung.

Meaning

Noun

  • A spar formerly used on board of ships, as a crane to hoist the flukes of the anchor to the top of the bow, without injuring the sides of the ship.
  • A crane, often working in pairs and usually made of steel, used to lower things over an edge of a long drop off, such as lowering a maintenance trapeze down a building or launching a lifeboat over the side of a ship.

Related

Similar words

  • fish davit

Origin

  • The word davit is derived from Middle English and Old French daviot, which is a diminutive of David; thus it means "little David", maybe because those small cranes can handle a much bigger lifeboat.

Modern English dictionary

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