A temporary repair method for ships where a damaged hull is patched from the outside by drawing a sail filled with fibers under the hole to seal the leak.
From the verb 'fother,' origin uncertain but possibly from Dutch or Low German nautical terminology. The -ing suffix creates a gerund form. Used specifically in maritime contexts since at least the 17th century.
Navy sailors literally stuffed sails with straw, oakum, and dung to plug leaks in emergencies—it worked because water pressure forced the material into the hole! This desperate trick saved countless wooden ships before modern hull repairs existed.
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