A rope loop or grommet used on ships to hold things in place, or a circular band used to secure something.
Origin uncertain, possibly from the surname of someone who invented or commonly used the device. First appeared in nautical contexts in the 17th century, becoming a standard sailing term.
Sailors had to invent hundreds of clever little devices, and many got named after people—a becket might be named after a sailor named Becket, reminding us that the sea has its own specialized vocabulary that landlubbers rarely encounter.
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