Bitts vs Cleat - What's the difference?
bitts | cleat |
(nautical, pluralonly) A frame composed of two strong oak timbers (bitt-heads) fixed vertically in the fore part of a ship, bolted to the deck beams to which are secured the cables when the ship rides to anchor
A strip of wood or iron fastened on transversely to something in order to give strength, prevent warping, hold position, etc.
* 1851 ,
A continuous metal strip, or angled piece, used to secure metal components.
(nautical) A device to quickly affix a line or rope, and from which it is also easy to release.
A protrusion on the bottom of a shoe meant for better traction. (See cleats.)
To strengthen with a cleat.
(nautical) To tie off, affix, stopper a line or rope, especially to a cleat
As nouns the difference between bitts and cleat
is that bitts is a frame composed of two strong oak timbers (bitt-heads) fixed vertically in the fore part of a ship, bolted to the deck beams to which are secured the cables when the ship rides to anchor while cleat is a strip of wood or iron fastened on transversely to something in order to give strength, prevent warping, hold position, etc.As a verb cleat is
to strengthen with a cleat.bitts
English
Noun
(head)Derived terms
* bitter * bitter end * bitt-heads * bitt-pins * bitt-stopper * bitt the cable * carrick-bitts * fore-brace bitts * gallows-bitts * jear-bitts * paul-bitts or pawl-bitts * riding-bitts * topsail-sheet bitts * winch-bitts * windlass-bittsReferences
* An etymological dictionary of the English language,p. 65
cleat
English
Noun
(en noun)- [...] the people of that island erected lofty spars along the seacoast, to which the look-outs ascended by means of nailed cleats , something as fowls go upstairs in a hen-house.