Definition of "tholes" []

• Plural form of thole. (noun)

Wiktionary.org : Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

• "The large Sutton Hoo ship buried in Mound 1 had between 20 and 40 oars – as the tholes had only survived in places along the gunwale the exact number is unknown - and Martin Carver suggests the most likely number is 28, seven pairs each fore and aft of the mast Carver 1998 p.171."
• "Those of Harald's band who were still fit and able manned the thwarts, drawing the long oars through the tholes."
• "It was eighteen feet long, big-bellied, with two thwarts for oarsmen and four sets of tholes for oars."