bulkhead
/'bʌlkhed/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A bulkhead is a strong, upright partition or wall-like structure within a vehicle, especially a ship or aircraft, designed to divide it into separate compartments. Its primary purposes are to increase structural strength, contain fire or flooding, and provide separate functional areas.
Usage
The word "bulkhead" is used specifically in the contexts of naval architecture, marine engineering, and aerospace. It refers to the internal vertical walls that compartmentalize a vessel or fuselage. * The ship's engineer inspected the watertight bulkhead for any signs of corrosion. * In an emergency, the crew sealed the bulkhead doors to prevent the fire from spreading. * The aircraft's forward bulkhead separates the cockpit from the passenger cabin.
Advanced Usage
- "Bulkhead seating": In commercial aviation, this refers to passenger seats located immediately behind a dividing wall or partition, often offering extra legroom.
- We requested bulkhead seating for our long flight.
- The term can be extended metaphorically to describe any substantial, partition-like barrier.
- A bulkhead of bureaucracy slowed the project's progress.
Variants and Related Words
- Bulkheaded (adj): Describes a structure that is fitted with or divided by bulkheads.
- The ship was bulkheaded into several watertight compartments.
- Bulkhead door / hatch: The door or opening within a bulkhead.
Synonyms
- Partition
- Dividing wall
- Barrier
- Screen (in a general, non-technical sense)
Antonyms
- Opening
- Passageway
- Aperture
Related Phrases
- Watertight bulkhead: A crucial type of bulkhead on ships designed to be impermeable to water, preventing a leak in one compartment from flooding the entire vessel.
- Fireproof bulkhead: A partition designed to resist and contain the spread of fire.
- Forward/Aft bulkhead: Specifies the bulkhead at the front (bow) or rear (stern) of a compartment.
Noun
- a partition that divides a ship or plane into compartments