Sickbay

Origin of: Sickbay

Sickbay

Sickbays aboard ships were not called sickbays until the early 19th century. Before this, they were called sick berths and were situated in the bow of ships. With the advent of the rounded bow, sick berths found themselves situated in a curved space rather like a bay window and so were called sickbays from this time onwards c. 1800.