Okuzeka
Maritime & Shipping vocabulary · Ship Types & Ship Structure

Bow

Meaning in maritime & shipping, with examples

/baʊ/nounCore term

In maritime & shipping, bow means: The front end of a ship. Positions and directions on board are often described in relation to it, for example 'on the port bow'.

In Turkish: baş, pruva

How it is used

Used on deck and on the bridge all the time: bow thruster, bow line, 'the anchor is ready at the bow'. Lookouts report objects 'on the starboard bow' or 'right ahead'.

Example sentences

  1. Two tugs will make fast, one at the bow and one at the stern.

  2. A fishing boat is crossing about two miles off our port bow.

Common collocations

  • bow thruster
  • bow line
  • on the port bow
  • bulbous bow
  • sternThe back end of a ship, where the rudder and propeller are usually found. On many merchant ships the accommodation and the bridge are also close to it.
  • port sideThe left-hand side of a ship when you face forward towards the bow. At night it is shown by a red sidelight.
  • starboardThe right-hand side of a ship when you face forward towards the bow. At night it is shown by a green sidelight.
  • anchorA heavy metal device on a chain that is dropped to the seabed to hold a ship in place. As a verb, it means to stop a ship in this way.

More terms: Ship Types & Ship Structure

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