† shear-hook Naut. Obs.
[f. shear v. + hook n.1]
A sickle-shaped hook intended to destroy the enemy's rigging.
| 1338 in Nicolas Hist. Navy (1847) II. 475, ii. seilyngnedeles, un dyall, un sherhok, un mykehok. 1485 Naval Acc. Hen. VII (1896) 39 Sherhokes for the yerde armes. 1558 W. Towrson in Hakluyt Voy. (1589) 124 The shippe fell aboorde of vs and with her sheare hookes cut our maine saile. 1619 in Foster Eng. Factories India (1906) I. 68 They should be fitted with ‘sheere hooks’, etc., to keepe off bording. c 1635 N. Boteler Dial. Sea Services (1685) 289 Sheer hooks are great Hooks of iron about the bigness and in the form of a sickle and they are let into the main-yard-arms. 1704 J. Harris Lex. Techn. I. 1794 Rigging & Seamanship I. 80. |