What does crow's nest mean?
Definitions for crow's nest
crow's nest
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word crow's nest.
Princeton's WordNet
crow's nestnoun
platform for a lookout at or near the top of a mast
Wikipedia
Crow's nest
A crow's nest is a structure in the upper part of the main mast of a ship or a structure that is used as a lookout point. On ships, this position ensured the widest field of view for lookouts to spot approaching hazards, other ships, or land by using the naked eye or optical devices such as telescopes or binoculars. It should not be confused with the top, the platform in the upper part of each lower mast of a square-rigged sailing ship. According to William Scoresby Jr., the crow's nest was invented in the 19th century by his father, William Scoresby Sr., a whaler and also an Arctic explorer. However, Scoresby Sr. may simply have made an improvement on existing designs. Crow's nests appear in Egyptian reliefs as early as 1200 BC and on eighth to seventh century BC representations of Phoenician, Etruscan, and Boiotian ships. The crow’s nest disappears completely from depictions of ships after the seventh century, although the relationship between a raised vantage point and better visibility continued to be well understood. Theon of Smyrna wrote that by climbing the mast of a ship, one could see land that is invisible to those on deck.The first recorded appearance of the term was in 1807, used to describe Scoresby Sr.'s barrel crows nest platform. According to a popular naval legend, the term derives from the practice of Viking sailors, who carried crows or ravens in a cage secured to the top of the mast. In cases of poor visibility, a crow was released, and the navigator plotted a course corresponding to the bird's flight path because the bird invariably headed "as the crow flies" towards the nearest land. However, other naval scholars have found no evidence of the masthead crow cage and suggest the name was coined because Scoresby's lookout platform resembled a crow's nest in a tree.Since the crow's nest is a point far away from the ship's center of mass, rotational movement of the ship is amplified and could lead to severe seasickness, even in accustomed sailors. Therefore, being sent to the crow's nest was also considered a punishment.
ChatGPT
crow's nest
A crow's nest is a structure or platform high up on the main mast of a ship, used as a lookout point by sailors to observe distant surroundings or approaching objects. The term originates from the practice during a ship's voyage of suspending a basket for a crow, which was released when land was sought.
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
crow's nest
A small shelter for the look-out man: sometimes made with a cask, at the top-gallant mast-head of whalers, whence fish are espied. Also, for the ice-master to note the lanes or open spaces in the ice.
Matched Categories
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of crow's nest in Chaldean Numerology is: 2
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of crow's nest in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1
Translations for crow's nest
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"crow's nest." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/crow%27s+nest>.
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