Stokehold
/ˈstoʊkˌhoʊld/noun
The compartment in a steamship or locomotive where fuel is fed to the furnace.
Did you know?Stokehold is a compound of stoke, from a Germanic root meaning to poke or prod, and hold, an enclosed space, so the word literally names the place where fire is tended.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
stocc
“A log, post, or stump; also the source of words for a stick or stock”
Old English
OE
hol
“A hollow or cavity”
Middle English
ME
stokkehold
“A place or compartment for stoking fuel and tending fire”
19th Century
English
stokehold
“The enclosed space aboard a steam vessel where coal was fed to the furnace”
Modern English
English
stokehold
“The engine-room firebox area or furnace compartment on a steamship or similar vessel”