thimbleeye

thimble +‎ eye

thimbleeye (plural thimbleeyes)

1. An Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias).
   • 1904, Tarleton H. Bean, “Fishes of New York”, in New York State Museum 56th Annual Report, volume 2, page 383:

     July 25, 1887, the schooner Peter Cooper caught 6000 thimbleeye mackerel off Manasquan N. J.

   • 1978, John Laurence McHugh, Jay J. C. Ginter, Fisheries, page 68:

     A schooling fish of temperate waters, chub mackerel or thimbleeye migrates in much greater numbers to New Jersey than into New York waters .

2. (nautical) A loop at the end of a rope that is protected from chafing by a thimble (metal ring).
   • 1878, Dixon Kemp, A Manual of Yacht and Boat Sailing, page 105:

     Each end of the runner has a thimble-eye splice , with a strong hook at the end of the standing part.

   • 2006, Thomas M. Shoemaker, Thomas Shoemaker, James E. Mack, Lineman and Cableman's Handbook, page 12-29:

     Thimbleeye nuts are installed on through bolt, and pole is protected with curved washers.

   • 2020, NLTAPA Tailgate Talks:

     AT least three clips should be used when making any prepared loop or thimble-eye termination for wire rope, especially for hoisting.

• “thimbleeye”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.