Another variant spelling of 'forecastle'; the forward crew quarters of a ship.
Contracted spelling of 'forecastle,' a term originally describing fortified bow structures on medieval warships. 'Focsle' is one of several variant spellings ('foc's'le,' 'fo'c's'le,' 'fockle') resulting from century-old abbreviations.
Nautical language is full of these compressed contractions—'focsle,' 'quarterdeck,' 'galley'—created by sailors who had to communicate in storms and developed quick, muscular versions of proper terms.
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