Plural of derrick; multiple hoisting cranes or frameworks used to lift heavy loads, especially in oil drilling and shipping.
Plural of 'derrick,' from Derrick, a 17th-century London executioner whose gallows design inspired the name for similar-looking hoisting apparatus. The term spread to maritime and industrial use.
If you've ever seen an oil rig or old-fashioned cargo ship, those towering structures with swinging booms are derricks—they're essentially giant mechanical arms named after a hangman!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.