In a vertical or upright position; standing on end (used especially in nautical contexts for sails or ship components).
From 'a-' (in/on the state of) + 'peak' (the pointed top or summit). Used in maritime vocabulary since at least the 17th century for describing the angle of masts, yards, and anchors.
Sailors would say an anchor is 'apeak' when they'd hauled it vertical during the lifting process—a useful shorthand that made the crew's dangerous, coordinated work on sailing ships clearer and faster in rough conditions.
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