strake

/streik/

Thân thiện

A shipwright carefully fits a new strake to the hull of a wooden ship.

Definition

Noun: 1. A continuous line of planking or plating on a ship's side, running from stem to stern: In shipbuilding, a strake is a single course (row) of planks or plates that forms part of the hull's shell. It is a fundamental structural element in wooden and metal ship construction.

Usage

The word "strake" is a technical term used almost exclusively in the context of shipbuilding, naval architecture, and maritime history. It refers to the longitudinal planks or plates that make up the hull.

Examples

• The shipwright carefully fitted each strake to ensure the hull was watertight.
• The garboard strake is the first plank attached to the keel.
• Damage to a single strake can compromise the integrity of the entire vessel.

Advanced Usage

• Specific types of strakes are named for their position on the hull:
  • Garboard strake: The first (and often heaviest) strake immediately adjacent to the keel.
  • Sheer strake: The topmost strake, just below the deck level.
  • Bilge strake: A strake located in the curved section (bilge) of the hull.

Variants and Related Words

• Washstrake (noun): An additional strake fitted above the gunwale to increase the freeboard and keep out water.

Synonyms

• Planking (when referring to the collective material, though not a single course)
• Course (in the context of a single row of material in construction)

Notes on Different Meanings

The term "strake" is highly specialized and has no common figurative or alternative meanings in general English. Its use is confined to maritime and historical contexts.

Học thuật

Noun

1. thick plank forming a ridge along the side of a wooden ship

Từ đồng nghĩa

• wale