Bight
/baɪt/noun
A bend or curve in a coastline, river, or rope; also a loop of rope.
Did you know?In nautical English, a bight is the part of a rope between the ends, which is why sailors used it for knots and hitches — a practical word born from the geometry of being caught.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*bugjō
“a bend, curve, or something bent”
Old English
OE
byht
“a bend, angle, nook, or corner”
Middle English
ME
bight
“a bend or curve; a loop in a rope”
Modern English
English
bight
“a bend in a coastline, river, or rope”