Now dial. Also 7 thougt, thoat, 8 thout, 9 thawt, dial. thowt. [Altered from the earlier THOFT, q.v. with change of (f) to (χ), (the converse of what occurs in thoft for thought, THOUGHT1 and pa. t. THINK v.2, and thof for THOUGH). Cf. also MDu. dochte and dofte, Du. doft, MLG. and LG. ducht, whence mod. Ger. ducht, beside dial. duft from OHG. dofta. See also the modern equivalent thwart.] A rower’s bench; = THWART sb.2

1

1622.  Sir R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea, liv. 129. His boate fitted with Sayle, Oares, thougts, tholes, dauyd, windles and rother.

2

1627.  Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., vi. 27. Thoughts are the seats whereon the Rowers sit.

3

1633.  T. James, Voyage, 57. It did breake two thoughts of our Boat.

4

1688.  R. Holme, Armoury, III. xv. (Roxb.), 27/1. The thaughts and seats they sit on to rowe.

5

1697.  Dampier, Voy. round World (1699), 118. These Canoas were fitted with Thoats or Benches.

6

1704.  J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. Thaughts, or Thoughts.

7

1725.  De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 341. Three muskets which were lashed under their thouts, or benches of the canoe.

8

1823.  Moor, Suffolk Wds., 428. Thowts, the seats of rowers in a boat—the thwarts perhaps; or what go across.

9

1867.  Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Thought, an old spelling of thwart.

10

1886.  R. C. Leslie, Sea-painter’s Log, 172. We turned-to and lashed the nets down from thawt to thawt.

11