Walls or barriers that divide the inside of a ship or aircraft into separate compartments. Bulkheads help prevent water or fire from spreading throughout the vessel if damage occurs.
From 'bulk' (probably from Scandinavian roots meaning 'cargo' or 'heap') combined with 'head' (meaning a barrier or wall). The compound emerged in nautical terminology around the 1600s-1700s as ship design became more sophisticated. The term originally referred to the walls of cargo holds on ships.
When the Titanic sank in 1912, people realized its bulkheads weren't tall enough to prevent water from sloshing over the top from one compartment to the next—a horrifying design flaw that led to modern maritime safety standards, showing how engineering learns from tragedy!
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