What does wellhole mean?
Wellhole is a technical nautical noun for an opening in the bottom of a ship through which the anchor cable and its chain pass. The word is chiefly encountered in shipbuilding, marine engineering, and safety documentation rather than ordinary conversation. Its meaning is narrow: the wellhole is the passage in the hull, while the hawse pipe is the opening in the bow through which the cable enters, and the chain locker is the compartment in which chain may be stowed. A wellhole therefore matters when checking hull integrity, preventing water ingress, and ensuring that the anchoring equipment can operate correctly. Although its two components, well and hole, are ordinary English words, wellhole is normally treated as a single specialized term. It is especially useful to readers who encounter ship plans, anchor arrangements, inspection reports, or maritime engineering texts, where distinguishing this opening from nearby parts of the anchoring system prevents serious confusion.
nounA hole in the bottom of a ship through which the anchor cable and its chain pass.
- Nautical: an opening in the bottom of a ship through which the anchor cable and chain pass.
"The anchor chain slid through the wellhole into the chain locker."
"The anchor chain passed through the wellhole into the chain locker."
"During dry dock, inspectors checked the wellhole for wear and water ingress."
The regular plural is wellholes, normally written as one word.
"The shipyard inspected the wellholes on several bulk carriers."
A ship’s anchor chain enters through the bow and then drops through the wellhole.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wellhole
Wellhole is an English compound formed from well and hole. Its elements have separate Germanic origins: well continues Old English wella, meaning a spring or water source, while hole continues Old English hol, meaning a hollow place or cavity. The nautical compound denotes an opening in a ship's bottom, and its two components do not descend from a single shared root.
How wellhole is actually used
This is specialist maritime terminology used in shipbuilding, marine engineering, inspection, and safety contexts. It is also written as “well hole” in some technical texts.