One of the curved wooden ribs that form the framework of a ship's hull, giving it its shape and strength.
From Middle English 'foothooke,' combining 'foot' and 'hoke' (hook), referring to the U-shaped curves that resembled hooks in a ship's structure.
If you've ever wondered why old ships could survive massive storms, futtocks are part of the answer—their curved design distributes stress brilliantly, and shipwrights spent years learning to select and position them perfectly.
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