the.com/rowlock
The fulcrum that lets a boat argue with the ocean and sometimes win.
means A rowlock is the pivot fitted to the side of a boat that holds an oar in place and lets it swing while you row.
from Built from 'oar' plus 'lock' — row, meaning to pull an oar, joined to lock in the old sense of a fastening or fixture, not a thing you open with a key. English has long preferred this version, though you'll also meet 'rowlocks' slurred down to 'rollocks' or spelled 'rollock' in older nautical speech, which is simply the same word worn smooth by sailors' tongues.
- also called
- oarlock in American English
- function
- pivot point converting arm force into thrust
- placement
- mounted on the gunwale, not the oar
- etymology
- from row plus lock, securing the oar