Meanings
plural futtocks
- nauticalAny of the curved rib-like timbers that form the frame of a wooden ship.
The timbers (called also frames, or floors, first, second and third futtocks, where the lengths of the frames are in two, three, or more pieces) will be "double," that is, two timbers will be placed close together, or nearly close together, and act as one frame.
1884, Dixon Kemp, A Manual of Yacht and Boat Sailing (Fourth Edition), page 12
Origin
- Old Norsefót'ek
- Old Norsefótr
- Old English*fōtuc
- Middle Dutchvoetkijn
- Old Dutchvot
- Old Englishfōt
- Middle Englishfuttek
- Englishfuttock
From Middle English futtek, votek, of uncertain origin; perhaps a compound of Old English fōt + hōc, or fut + -uc (foot hook or foot -ock), Old Dutch vot or fuot + hoek; or from timber jargon word butt + -ock (diminutive suffix). Alternatively from Middle Dutch voetkijn, diminutive of voet (“foot”), equivalent to foot + -kin; or Old English *fōtuc, meaning foot + -ock (diminutive suffix). Perhaps came into Old English from Old Norse fótr, or fett / futt (big); + ek (timbr), or øks; giving Old Norse fót'ek, futtek or futtøks; equivalent Norwegian is fot haki, fett eik (tømmer), or fett øks; meaning foot hook, big oak (timber), or bold axe.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Old Dutch
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Basque saiheskia
- saiheskiacurved rib-like timbers
Danish ziter, oplangor
- zitercurved rib-like timbers
- oplangorcurved rib-like timbers
- ribbencurved rib-like timbers
Dutch zitzer, oplangor
- zitzercurved rib-like timbers
- oplangorcurved rib-like timbers
- ribcurved rib-like timbers
Finnish kaari
- kaaricurved rib-like timbers
French genou, côte
- genoucurved rib-like timbers
- côtecurved rib-like timbers
- ogivecurved rib-like timbers
- membrurecurved rib-like timbers
- rayoncurved rib-like timbers
- allongecurved rib-like timbers
German Sitzer, Auflanger
- Sitzercurved rib-like timbers
- Auflangercurved rib-like timbers
- Spantcurved rib-like timbers
- Rippecurved rib-like timbers
- Speichecurved rib-like timbers
Hebrew צַלְעִית f)
- צַלְעִית f) (tsal'it)curved rib-like timbers
Icelandic röng
- röngcurved rib-like timbers
Irish meáneasna, runga
- meáneasnacurved rib-like timbers
- rungacurved rib-like timbers
Italian staminale, stamenale
- staminalecurved rib-like timbers
- stamenalecurved rib-like timbers
- centinacurved rib-like timbers
- razzacurved rib-like timbers
- slongatoricurved rib-like timbers
- forcamelicurved rib-like timbers
Norwegian vrbord
- vrbordcurved rib-like timbers
Polish żebro
- żebrocurved rib-like timbers
Portuguese braço, baliza
- braçocurved rib-like timbers
- balizacurved rib-like timbers
- aletacurved rib-like timbers
Russian шпанго́ут, спи́ца
- шпанго́ут (špangóut)curved rib-like timbers
- спи́ца (spíca)curved rib-like timbers
- сто́йка (stójka)curved rib-like timbers
Spanish genol, costilla
- genolcurved rib-like timbers
- costillacurved rib-like timbers
- arcocurved rib-like timbers
- peinazocurved rib-like timbers
- radiocurved rib-like timbers
- ligazóncurved rib-like timbers
- nerviocurved rib-like timbers
- jenolcurved rib-like timbers
Swedish upplänga, sittra
- upplängacurved rib-like timbers
- sittracurved rib-like timbers
Welsh ffwtog
- ffwtogcurved rib-like timbers
Cite this entry
futtock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/futtock
“futtock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/futtock. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “futtock,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/futtock.
Source: futtock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.