bowsprit

First attested in late 13th century. Probably borrowed from Middle Low German bochspret, from boch (“bow of a ship”) +‎ spret (“pole”) (related to Old English spreot and English sprout).

• IPA^(key): /ˈbəʊspɹɪt/

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bowsprit (plural bowsprits)

1. (nautical) A spar projecting over the prow of a sailing vessel to provide the means of adding sail surface.
   • 1904, Jack London, chapter 32, in The Sea-Wolf (Macmillan’s Standard Library), New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC:

     There lay the Ghost, bow on to the beach, her splintered bowsprit projecting over the sand, her tangled spars rubbing against her side to the lift of the crooning waves. Something must be done, must be done.

• bolesprit
• boltsprit