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hammock
hammock, from the Carib hamorca, a type of native bed, and the bed of the naval seaman for hundreds of years, but not any longer, as the modern seaman sleeps in a bunk. The hammock was invented, it is said, by Alcibiades, but its introduction in ships dates from the time of Christopher Columbus who noted that the natives of the Carib islands used them slung between trees. The maritime version is made of canvas with a row of small eyelet holes at each end through which are rove nettles which spread from a ring. When used on board, hammocks were slung from hooks in the deck beams. When not in use they were lashed up, with the blankets inside them, by nine turns of a rope. In the days of sailing warships, hammock nettings, protected by quarter-cloths, were placed along the sides of the upper deck and along the break of the poop so that the hammocks in them could act as a protection from musket fire from an enemy ship during battle. They were also stowed like this so that they would float free in the event of being sunk in battle, as a properly lashed hammock could support the weight of a man in the water for a considerable time.
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Cite this article
"hammock." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hammock." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-hammock.html "hammock." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-hammock.html |
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hammock
hammock suspended bed, usually of netting, canvas, or leather. The hammock and its name were introduced to Europeans by Christopher Columbus, who learned of them from Native Americans. While the plaited hammock seems to be native to the Western Hemisphere, blankets have served the same purpose among primitive tribes in other parts of the world. The hammock was formerly used to conserve space on naval vessels. It has served as a means of conveyance in tropical areas. |
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Cite this article
"hammock." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hammock." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-hammock.html "hammock." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-hammock.html |
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hammock
ham·mock
/ ˈhamək/
•
n.
a bed made of canvas or of rope mesh and suspended by cords at the ends, used as garden furniture or on board a ship.
hammock |
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Cite this article
"hammock." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hammock." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hammock.html "hammock." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hammock.html |
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hammock
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "hammock." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "hammock." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hammock.html T. F. HOAD. "hammock." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hammock.html |
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hammock
hammock
•elegiac • Newark • Lubbock
•Caradoc, haddock, paddock, shaddock
•Marduk • piddock • Norfolk • Suffolk
•charlock
•hillock, pillock
•lilac
•ballock, pollack, pollock, rowlock
•bullock • hammock
•hummock, slummock, stomach
•bannock, Zanuck
•Kilmarnock • Greenock • monarch
•eunuch
•arrack, barrack, Baruch, carrack
•cassock, hassock
•tussock • Taoiseach • mattock
•buttock, futtock
•havoc • bulwark • wazzock • Isaac
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Cite this article
"hammock." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hammock." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-hammock.html "hammock." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-hammock.html |
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