From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Rowlock \Row"lock\ (? colloq. ?), noun [For oarlock; AS. [hand]rloc, where the second part is skin to G. loch a hole, E. lock a fastening. See {Oar}, and {Lock}.]
1. (Naut.) A contrivance or arrangement serving as a fulcrum for an oar in rowing. It consists sometimes of a notch in the gunwale of a boat, sometimes of a pair of pins between which the oar rests on the edge of the gunwale, sometimes of a single pin passing through the oar, or of a metal fork or stirrup pivoted in the gunwale and suporting the oar; same as {oarlock}. [Chiefly Brit.] [1913 Webster +PJC]
2. One of the rings of masonry included in an arch having more than one ring. [PJC]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: a holder attached to the gunwale of a boat that holds the oar in place and acts as a fulcrum for rowing [syn: {peg}, {pin}, {thole}, {tholepin}, {oarlock}]
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