Eyebolts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of fastener with a looped head designed for anchoring or securing ropes and cables to structures
2. Often used in construction and rigging applications for stability and support
3. These hardware pieces can be made from various materials and are utilized in both heavy-duty and light-duty settings

Etymology: "Eyebolts" is simply the plural of "eyebolt", a compound of "eye" and "bolt" with no hidden twist. The "eye" part is the ordinary word for the organ of sight, but in this sense it refers to the closed loop at one end of the fastener, which resembles an eye. The "bolt" is a long-established English word for a metal pin or rod, and an eyebolt is simply a bolt whose head has been shaped into a ring. The compound has close relatives in other Germanic languages. Icelandic has "augabolti", meaning "ringbolt", which points to the same picture of a bolt fitted with a ring. The shared image shows how naturally the idea of a looped head suggested an eye to speakers of related tongues.

Synonyms: anchor bolts, screws, fasteners, hooks, anchors