# bulkhead

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbʌlk.hɛd/ · frequency rank #39,228

## Definitions
1. A vertical partition dividing the hull into separate compartments; often made watertight to prevent excessive flooding if the ship's hull is breached.
2. A similar partition in an aircraft or spacecraft, or some rail vehicles.
3. A partition or panel through which connectors pass, or a connector designed to pass through a partition.
4. A pressure-resistant sealed barrier to any fluid in a large structure.
5. A retaining wall along a waterfront.
6. A cellar hatchway.

## Etymology
From Old Norse bálkr (“partition”) + head, anglicised as bulk + head.

## Common misspellings (12)
`bbulkhead`, `blukhead`, `buklhead`, `bulhkead`, `bulkehad`, `bulkhaed`, `bulkheadd`, `bulkheda`, `bulkhhead`, `bulkkhead`, `bullkhead`, `ublkhead`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bulkhead