Definition of 'davit'

Word Frequency

davit in British

(ˈdævɪt , ˈdeɪ-)

noun

a cranelike device, usually one of a pair, fitted with a tackle for suspending or lowering equipment, esp a lifeboat

Word origin of 'davit'

C14: from Anglo-French daviot, diminutive of Davi David

Word Frequency

davit in American

(ˈdeɪvɪt ; dāˈvit; also ˈdævɪt ; davˈit)

noun

either of a pair of uprights that can be swung out over the side of a ship for lowering or raising a small boat

a crane in a ship's bow, formerly used to raise or lower the anchor

Word origin of 'davit'

ME & OFr daviot, dim. of David, prob. with reference to the slaying of Goliath

Example sentences containing 'davit'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

Boat davit 's all greased up but the forward winch is only halfway there. Lunnon-Wood, Mike LET NOT THE DEEPone leant back on the rail behind a lifeboat davit and cupped a cigarette to his lips. Lunnon-Wood, Mike LET NOT THE DEEP

Trends of 'davit'

Used Rarely. davit is in the lower 50% of commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

View usage for:

Nearby words of 'davit'

Source

Definition of davit from the Collins English Dictionary

The forms of main verbs

English verbs have up to five different forms. These are: 1 the base form, e.g. pull 2 the 3rd person singular, present simple tense, e.g. pulls 3 the past simple tense, e.g. pulled ...

Word of the day:

Anzac

(in World War I) a soldier serving with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps

See full definition

Take better control of your finances with these simple steps

Do you find yourself living paycheque to paycheque? Dr Peter Brooks offers his advice to make that money last

The etymology behind 4 eggs-ellent Springtime words

We’ve explored the diverse etymology of 4 eggs-ellent words associated with spring.

Up Lit, Alexa Laugh & Meet Me at McDonald’s Hair: March’s Words In The News

Catch up on the latest words in the news this March with Robert Groves.

Join the Collins community

All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.

Scrabble score for 'davit': 9

Latest Word Submissions

courioglot Apr 25, 2018

breakout [sense] Apr 25, 2018

upscale [sense] Apr 25, 2018

Roblox Apr 23, 2018

kill em with kind... Apr 23, 2018

Submit View More