A variant or dialectal spelling of 'foc's'le' (forecastle), the forward section of a ship where the crew's quarters are located.
Archaic or dialectal variant of 'forecastle,' a nautical term. 'Forecastle' originally referred to a castle-like fortified structure at the bow of medieval warships, abbreviated and contracted into 'foc's'le' and various spellings.
Medieval ships actually had turret-like 'castles' built at the bow and stern for archers—the forecastle—but by the age of sail, these became just cramped crew quarters, yet kept the ancient name for 500+ years.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.