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bulkhead

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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English

Etymology

From Old Norse bálkr (“partition”) + head, anglicised as bulk +‎ head.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbʌlk.hɛd/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

bulkhead (plural bulkheads)

  1. (nautical) A vertical partition dividing the hull into separate compartments; often made watertight to prevent excessive flooding if the ship's hull is breached.
    Coordinate term: deckhead
    • 2003, Edward T. O'Donnell, Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum, page 54:
      Lastly, Lundberg went belowdecks to inspect the boat's bulkheads and hull—for what, it was not clear, since he had absolutely no knowledge of steamboat design.
  2. (aerospace, rail transport) A similar partition in an aircraft or spacecraft, or some rail vehicles.
    • 1958 September, “Swindon's First Main-Line Diesel Locomotive”, in Railway Magazine, page 601:
      For rigidity, two bulkheads are provided which are welded to the sides and underframe and which separate the cabs from the engine room.
  3. (mechanics) A partition or panel through which connectors pass, or a connector designed to pass through a partition.
  4. A pressure-resistant sealed barrier to any fluid in a large structure.
  5. A retaining wall along a waterfront.
  6. (Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine) A cellar hatchway.
    • 2003, John Farris, The Fury and the Power‎:
      She bumped her noggin on the bulkhead above the doorway, smiled in apology for her presumed clumsiness.

Derived terms

Translations

partition on air- or spacecraft
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