marlinspike

mar=lin=spike

WORDNET DICTIONARY

marlinspike(n = noun.artifact) marlinespike, marlingspike - a pointed iron hand tool that is used to separate strands of a rope or cable (as in splicing); Array

is a kind of hand tool

marlinspike, n. Naut. a pointed iron tool used to separate strands of rope or wire.

Etymology

orig. app. marling-spike f. marl fasten with marline (f. Du. marlen frequent. of MDu. marren bind) + -ING(1) + SPIKE(1)