bollard
/ˈbɑləɹd/ noun
Forms bollards
- noun (nautical) A strong vertical post of timber or iron, fixed to a wharf, dock, or the deck of a ship, to which the ship's mooring lines or towlines are secured.
- noun A similar post preventing vehicle access to a pedestrian area, to delineate traffic lanes, or used for security purposes.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English bollard, probably from Middle English bole (“tree trunk”), from Old Norse bolr (“stump, trunk”), equivalent to bole + -ard (pejorative or diminutive suffix).
Webster’s 1913
- noun An upright wooden or iron post in a boat or on a dock, used in veering or fastening ropes. Bollard timber (Naut.), a timber, also called a knighthead, rising just within the stem in a ship, on either side of the bowsprit, to secure its end.
Etymology [Cf. Bole the stem of a tree, and Pollard.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “bollard”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details