This rare Greek term appears only once in the New Testament, referring to the ropes or bands that secured the steering mechanism on a ship. In classical usage, it denoted the loop attached to a yoke through which a beast's head was placed. Luke uses it in Acts 27:40 during Paul's shipwreck narrative, where the crew loosens the rudder bands to prepare for beaching the vessel. The multilingual glosses reflect both the nautical context (lashings, bands) and uncertainty about the precise technical referent.