Page 17 - Colin Jarman "The Essential Knot Book"

SOME ROPE TERMS EXPLAINED

Bight The middle of a line or, more commonly, a curve or loop taken in a line
well away from either end.

Core Centre of rope. Modern ropes have separately constructed core and
covering (sheath).

Core strand (heart strand). Straight strand running through centre (core, heart)
of wire rope.

Fall End of halyard that is handled, winched and cleated.

Fibres Smallest part of rope made collectively into yarns which are in turn made
up into strands that are then used to form the whole rope.

Frapping turns Turns of rope binding things together.

Heart strand (core strand). Straight strand running through centre of wire rope.

Lay The ‘twist’ pattern of a three strand rope.

Lay up Twist strands together to form a rope.

Marry Interweave unlayed strands prior to splicing together.

Milk The sheath of a rope is slipped down over a splice by ‘milking’ it.

Round turn A rope’s end makes a round turn on something when it passes right
around it through 540 degrees to enclose the object and point back parallel to its
own standing part.