Tholeboard
/ˈθoʊlˌbɔːrd/noun
A board or seat in a small boat on which an oar rests, or a board near the gunwale used for rowing.
Did you know?Tholeboard is built from the ancient rowing term thole, which comes from a Germanic root meaning a support or prop, so this word literally names the thing that lets human effort bite into water.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
þol
“a prop, support, or bearing point”
Middle English
ME
thole
“a pin or support on a boat for an oar”
Middle English
ME
tholebord
“the board or fitting that supports an oar”
Modern English
English
tholeboard
“a board or seat in a boat supporting an oar”