scuttle-cask
Definition
Noun: A scuttle-cask is a cask (a large barrel-like container) kept on the deck of a ship, used to hold a supply of fresh drinking water for the crew.
Usage Examples
- (The cask on deck provided drinking water for the ship's crew.)
- (The container was a vital source of hydration at sea.)
Advanced Usage
- "Scuttle-cask" is a historical nautical term, largely synonymous with "scuttle-butt." In modern usage, it may appear in maritime literature or historical accounts to describe the shipboard water supply system.
- The ship's log noted that the scuttle-cask was damaged in the storm, causing a shortage of fresh water. (The container's damage led to a practical problem for the crew.)
Variants and Related Words
- Scuttle-butt (n): a similar cask for drinking water on a ship; also, by extension, a place where sailors gather to gossip (from the practice of gathering around the cask).
- The old scuttle-butt was replaced with a new cask before the voyage. (The container was swapped out for a fresh one.)
Synonyms
- Water cask: a barrel used to store water.
- Fresh-water barrel: a container for potable water on a ship.
Related Idioms
- "Scuttle-butt" (as a related term): used figuratively to mean "rumor" or "gossip," since sailors would share news while gathered around the cask.
- The scuttle-butt had it that the captain was retiring. (The rumor among the crew was that the captain was leaving.)
Notes
- The word "scuttle" in "scuttle-cask" likely derives from the Old English (a dish or platter), but in nautical contexts, it refers to a small hatch or opening, as the cask was often fitted with a cover or spigot for easy access.