Naut. Also 8 foot-hook. [prob., as already suggested in quot. 1644, a pronunciation of foot-hook (see quot. 1769).]
1. One of the middle timbers of the frame of a ship, between the floor and the top timbers.
1611. Cotgr., Cour-baston … (in a ship) a crooked peece of tymber, tearmed a Knee, or Futtocke.
1644. Manwayring, Sea-mans Dict., Futtocks, this word is commonly pronounced but I thinke more properly it should be called Foote-hookes; for the Futtocks are those compassing timbers, which give the bredth and bearing to the ship, which are scarfed to the ground-timbers.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1776), Futtocks, the middle division of a ship’s timbers: or those parts which are situated between the floor and the top-timbers…. As the epithet hooked is … applied … to several crooked timbers in a ship, as the breast-hooks, fore-hooks, after-hooks, &c., this term is evidently derived from the lowest part or foot of the timber and from the shape of the piece.
1769. G. Keate, Pelew Isl., 94. The jolly-boat was dispatched to … fetch some timbers for futtocks.
1832. Marryat, N. Forster, iii. Several of the lower futtocks and timbers still hung together, and showed themselves above water.
1846. Addison, Contracts, II. vii. § 2 (1883), 998. The twenty-two broken futtocks of the vessel were concealed only by the ballast.
c. 1850. Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 120. They [futtocks] are named according to their situation, that nearest the keel being called the first futtock; the next above, the second futtock, &c.
2. Comb., as futtock-mould, -rigging, -timber. Also futtock-head, -hole, -hoop (see quots.); futtock-plank = LIMBER-STRAKE; futtock-plate, one of the iron plates crossing the sides of the top-rim perpendicularly, to which the futtock-shrouds are secured; futtock-rider (see quot. 1867); futtock-shroud, one of the small shrouds that secure the lower dead-eyes and futtock-plates of top-mast rigging to a band round a lower mast; futtock-staff, -stave (see quots.).
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., *Futtock-head, in shipbuilding, is a name for the 5th, the 7th, and the 9th diagonals.
1846. Young, Naut. Dict., s.v. Futtock-shrouds, They are often formed by a continuation of the topmast rigging coming down through holes in the top, called *futtock-holes.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Futtock-holes, places through the top-rim for the futtock-plates.
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., I. 931/2 *Futtock-hoop. (Nautical.) A hoop encircling the mast at a point below the head, and serving for the attachment of the shackles of the futtock-shrouds.
1664. E. Bushnell, Compl. Shipwright, 19. The … *futtock-Mould is hauled downward.
1846. Young, Naut. Dict., Limber-strake … sometimes called the *futtock-plank.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), M m ij. An iron band, called the *foot-hook-plate.
1841. R. H. Dana, Seaman’s Man., 106. Futtock-plates. Iron plates crossing the sides of the top-rim perpendicularly.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), Eguillettes … the *futtock-riders.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Futtock-riders, when a rider is lengthened by means of pieces batted or scarphed to it and each other, the first piece is termed the first futtock-rider, the next the second futtock-rider, and so on.
c. 1860. H. Stuart, Seaman’s Catech., 17. What is the name of the rigging from the necklace to the top rims? *Futtock rigging.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), M m ij. A rope called the *foot-hook-shroud.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, vi. 13. He fell from the star-board futtock shrouds.
1862. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, I. vi. 73. There were three, four, five men clinging to the futtock shrouds.
1841. R. H. Dana, Seaman’s Man., 106. *Futtock-staff. A short piece of wood or iron, seized across the upper part of the rigging, to which the catharpin legs are secured.
1794. Rigging & Seamanship, I. 166. *Futtock-stave, a short piece of rope served over with spun-yarn, to which the shrouds are confined at the catharpins.
1841. R. H. Dana, Seaman’s Man., 107. *Futtock-timbers. Those timbers between the floor and naval timbers, and the top-timbers.
