What does fid mean?
A fid is a specialised tool of traditional seamanship: a long, tapering implement, usually of hardwood but sometimes of metal, with two distinct nautical uses. In rope work, the sailor drives the pointed end between the strands of a rope to open them up so that the strands of another rope can be woven in — the essential first step of splicing. Because hard steel can crush natural fibres, fids are traditionally made of wood, gentler on the rope than the metal marlinspike used for similar tasks. The word's second sense is structural: a fid is also the heavy bar fitted into a socket at the heel of a topmast, resting on the lower mast to carry the topmast's weight and keep it steady. Almost never heard outside sailing and rigging circles, "fid" survives as everyday vocabulary among sailors, riggers, and traditional boatbuilders, a small reminder of how specialised trades preserve their own precise lexicon.
A tapered wooden or metal instrument used to open the strands of a rope in preparation for splicing.
"He eased the fid between the lays of the hawser and began working each strand into place."
Wooden fids are preferred for natural-fibre rope to avoid crushing the fibres.
A pin or bar that secures a topmast in place by engaging a mortise at its heel and bearing on the lower mast.
"Before hoisting the topmast, the bosun checked that the fid was properly seated."
Standard regular plural; used both for splicing tools and for mast fids.
"The ship's stores included several fids of different sizes for various ropes and masts."
Every spliced rope on a tall ship owes its neat weave to a humble pointed stick called a fid — the sailor's answer to the crowbar.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fid
The word "fid" appeared in English around the early seventeenth century, recorded in nautical use as sailors' jargon. Its deeper origin is uncertain; it is generally thought to be borrowed from a Scandinavian source, though no single ancestor has been established beyond doubt. It has no productive family of derivatives in modern English, remaining a solitary, trade-specific term.
How fid is actually used
"Fid" is a technical term confined almost entirely to maritime and rigging contexts; it is unfamiliar to most general speakers and appears mainly in sailing manuals, seamanship guides, and traditional-rigging discussion. It is neutral in tone and identical in British and American usage.
Easily confused with fid
A marlinspike is a similar pointed metal rope-working tool, but a fid is typically made of wood (or soft metal) and is specifically designed not to damage natural-fibre rope, while also serving to hold up a topmast.