A strong wall or partition inside a ship or building, often designed to contain water or prevent fire from spreading.
Compound word from 'bulk' (cargo, or the main body) and 'head' (end or front). The term originated in shipbuilding when sailors needed thick barriers to protect cargo holds and prevent catastrophic flooding.
A ship's bulkheads work on the same principle as the compartments in a chambered nautilus shell—dividing spaces so that if one section floods, the entire vessel doesn't sink, a design principle copied from marine animals.
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