Parbuncled

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Moved a heavy cylinder such as a barrel by looping a rope around it and rolling it along the ground
2. Hauled a drum or barrel up a ramp or onto a ship by wrapping a doubled rope around it and easing it over
3. Lifted or lowered a round load by securing a rope in a loop around it so it could be rolled into position

Etymology: "Parbuncled" is a rare past participle meaning "bound or wound with a rope," and it is a fairly exotic survivor from nautical and heraldic vocabulary. It is formed from "parbuckle," a word for a method of rolling a cylindrical object such as a cask or barrel up or down a slope by passing a rope around it and paying out the ends. The "-ed" ending simply marks the participle. The base word "parbuckle" is attested in English, and its earlier form is "parbunkle," which is the form the participle takes in its own right. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, and the sources do not settle how the word arrived in English.