davit
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davit
- /ˈdeɪvɪt/
- /ˈdævət/
Rhymes with -eɪvɪt
Where it comes from
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.
noun davits
- 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.
A solid, pyramid-like hummock of ice, left to starboard as the steamer ascended, and which projected close alongside the upper, or boat-deck, as she fell over, had caught, in succession, every pair of davits to starboard, bending and wrenching them, smashing boats, and snapping tackles and gripes, u
Similar: fish davit
Translations
Talk about this word "davit." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/davit. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. davit. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/davit "davit." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/davit.Cite this
@misc{davit_2026,
title = {davit},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/davit},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
