Meanings
- The concept or practice of taking women and children first in an evacuation or rescue.
Origin
Named from HMS Birkenhead, which struck a rock and sank in 1852.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Birkenhead drill. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Birkenhead%20drill
“Birkenhead drill.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Birkenhead%20drill. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Birkenhead drill,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Birkenhead%20drill.
Source: Birkenhead drill on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.