Word of the Day
14 May 2026
swig
To take up the last bit of slack in rigging by taking a single turn around a cleat, then hauling on the line above and below the cleat while keeping tension on the line.
Why this one
A purchase made out of nothing but geometry: hauling sideways on a line and then dropping the gained slack around the cleat gives a sailor mechanical advantage with no block or tackle aboard.
In use
That halyard's near enough, just swig it up a hand's width and make it fast before the wind fills the sail.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.Sources
- Definition sourceWiktionary