Also 8–9 choak, and CHUCK q.v. [Chock and chuck appear to have been originally variants of the same word, which are now somewhat differentiated. Though they appear late, they may possibly go back to ONF. *chuque, choque, chouque (mod.Pic. choke, Norm. chouque) = OF. çuche, zuche, çouche, souche ‘log or block of wood’; cf. It. ciocco a burning log, block of wood, stump; also ciocca bunch, cluster, tuft, etc. In Eng. the word appears to have been influenced by CHOKE, with which it is occas. confounded under the forms choke, choak.]
1. A lumpy piece of wood, esp. for burning; a block or log, dial. a ‘clog.’
1674. [see CHUCK].
1852. W. Cooper, Gloss. Provinc. Sussex, Chucks, large chips of wood.
1877. E. Peacock, N. W. Lincolnsh. Gloss., Chock, Chog, a small log or block of wood.
1881. Isle of Wight Gloss. (E. D. S.), Chocks, small pieces of wood.
2. Turning. A contrivance for fixing the material to be turned to the mandril of the lathe; now CHUCK. Also attrib.
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 192. Of Sockets, or Chocks, belonging to the Screw-Mandrel.
1786. Phil. Trans., LXXVI. 31. A stout mandrel, or arbor, for a chock Lathe.
1794. Rigging & Seamanship, I. 150. Chocks, cylindrical pieces of wood or iron, screw-cut at one end, to screw into the end of a mandrel.
1803. Ann. Reg., 780. Being afterwards strongly cemented to a plug or chock, [it] is screwed upon the lathe.
1822. Imison, Sc. & Art, II. 147. Place it on the collar at the chock end of the screw.
3. A term applied to a block of wood (usually wedge-shaped) used to stop a cask, wheel, or other body from moving. Boat-chocks: ‘clamps of wood upon which a boat rests when stowed on a vessel’s deck’ (Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk.).
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), Chock, a sort of wedge used to confine a cask or other weighty body … when the ship is in motion.
1775. Falch, Day’s Diving Vess., 27. I secured them in proper chocks on the gunnels of the barges.
1849. Weale, Dict. Terms, 98/2. The long-boat rests upon two large chocks when it is stowed.
1861. Leicestershire Mercury, 5 Oct., 2/4. To remove the ‘chocks’ or wedges connected with one of the lattice girders.
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., Chock (Ship-building), a block, preferably wedge-shaped, driven behind the props of a cradle to prevent it from slipping on the ways before the ship is ready to launch.
1875. Lanc. Gloss., Chock, a wedge for fastening the cart to the shafts.
1876. Robinson, Whitby Gloss., Chock, a wedge to keep the window from shaking, Chock’d, wedged.
1877. E. Peacock, N. W. Lincolnsh. Gloss., Chock, Chog, a block or stone used to chock, or scotch the wheel of a cart or waggon.
1881. Daily Tel., 28 Jan., 1/3. We had only one boat, and no tackles ready to lift her out of the chocks.
4. Mining. See quot. 1888.
1708. J. C., Compl. Collier (1845), 21. We lay Choak Deals which is Deales put in as fast, or all along, as we dig the Sand, or Earth.
1881. in Raymond, Mining Gloss.
1885. Times, 10 July, 10/6. The gas ignited at a lighted candle placed against a chock in the working place of John Dyke.
1888. Addy, Sheffield Gloss., Chock, a thick, rectangular block of wood, used in building up a strong support for the roof in coal-mining.
5. In various applications on ship-board: e.g.
a. ‘Smaller pieces of wood used to make good some deficiency in the main piece, as those at the head and heels of timbers, the frame-knees,’ etc. (Weale, Rudim. Navig., 106).
b. ‘Blocks of timber latterly substituted beneath the beams for knees, and wedged by iron keys’ (Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk.).
c. ‘A piece of timber, framed into the heads and heels of ship’s timber at their junctions, to act as a lap to the joint, and make up the deficiency at the inner angle’ (Knight, Dict. Mech.).
d. ‘Chocks of the rudder, large accurately adapted pieces of timber kept in readiness to choak the rudder, by filling up the excavation on the side of the rudder hole, in case of any accident. It is also choaked or chocked, when a ship is likely to get strong stern-way, when tiller-ropes break &c.’ (Smyth).
e. Anchor chocks: see ANCHOR sb.1 7.
1794. Rigging & Seamanship, I. 160. Chock, a square tapering piece of elm … used in strapping large blocks.
1804. Naval Chron., XII. 479. Shipped the rudder-choaks.
1806. Ann. Reg. (1804), 525/1. 10 vessels, completely fitted with slides, chocks, iron-bolts, sweeps, powder-chests, &c.
1837. Marryat, Dog-fiend, xlii. He stood up on the choak to ascertain what way she was making through the water.
c. 1860. H. Stuart, Seaman’s Catech., 26. Reeve it through the after sheave in the chock.
1860. Gosse, Rom. Nat. Hist., 260. In attempting to throw the line clear from the chock, a turn caught his left wrist, and he was dragged overboard by the descending whale.
1863. Scotsman, 21 Aug. Laden to the chocks with cannon and bombshells.
6. pl. Blocks of wood or stone placed in or upon any machine to add to its weight and steadiness; e.g., stones placed in a mangle, weights laid on a harrow, roller, etc.
7. dial. (See quot.) Hence Chock-hole.
1884. Holland, Chesh. Gloss. (E. D. S.), Chockhole, the deep rutty hole to be met with in many of the bye-roads or occupation roads in the country.
1887. S. Cheshire Gloss. (E. D. S.), Chock, an inequality, roughness in a road … also used quasi-adverbially = joltingly. ‘Theer yo gon chock (or chick-chock) o’er a stone.’
† Chock, -e sb.2 Obs. form of SHOCK.
