The Nautical Encyclopedia

Patterson’s Illustrated Nautical Encyclopedia — Howard Patterson, 1891

⚓ The Superstition Locker ⚓

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Home ⚓ Letter D ⚓ Devil's Claw

Devil's Claw

Sea Terms

A strong iron hook used as a stopper for the cable.

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2026 Editor's Note: The devil's claw — the two-fingered stopper that grips anchor chain — is still standard equipment on ships today, name unchanged. Every modern seamanship manual lists it. (Ed: BR 2026-06-28)

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The Nautical Encyclopedia (1891) is in the public domain; this digital edition © 2026 PhotoOpAI.