Lifting Slings

A Dictionary of Rigging Terms

The Terms—and Slang—You Should Know to Navigate the Lifting and Rigging Industry

person Sam Myers
event January 31, 2025

Linguists believe there are roughly one million words in the English language, and hundreds—maybe thousands—are used to name and describe practices and tools in the lifting and rigging industry.  

This industry has been around for generations, and the terms riggers use have evolved. At five job sites, five riggers could use five different words or phrases to describe a single tool.

With over 70 years of experience in this industry, Mazzella has seen the evolution of rigging slang, and we hear new terms for rigging gear thrown around constantly. To help, we’ve compiled a list of terms to help you navigate the world of lifting and rigging.   

Rigging

Rigging: The act of using equipment or gear, such as slings and rigging hardware, to move or secure materials. 

Slang: Rigging can sometimes be referred to as dogging or slinging, especially in the United Kingdom or Australia. 

Bull Rigging: A method or system of rigging commonly used where a crane (mobile/overhead) cannot gain access. It is often used in concert with other rigging activities such as transferring a load from a structure to a crane hook or vice-versa.  

Slang: Hand Rigging, Drifting, Tarzaning 

Working Load Limit (WLL): The maximum allowable working load established by the rigging hardware manufacturer.  

Slang: Many people will use the old term Safe Working Load (SWL) 

Lifting Slings

What Are Wire Rope Slings? Acronyms, Components, & Configurations: Mazzella 7-Part Slings

Wire Rope Sling: A sling made from braided wire rope or cable-laid wire rope with eyes fabricated by swaging one or more metal sleeves over each rope junction or by tucking the ends of the strands back into the main body of the rope in a prescribed manner.  

Slang: Wire rope slings are commonly called chockers in the field. 

Multi Leg Sling Assembly: A sling composed of multiple legs with the top ends gathered in a fitting that attaches to a hook, shackles, or other load-handling device.  

Slang: They can be called bridles, spreaders, double (two legs), triple (three legs), quad (four), depending on the number of legs it has.  

Synthetic Flat Web Sling: Synthetic webbing fabricated into a configuration with or without fittings for raising, lowering, or suspending application in general industrial and specialized operations.  

Slang: straps, synthetics, nylons, flat webs, softies  

Endless Sling: A sling made endless from one continuous length (of alloy chain, wire rope, or synthetic fiber) with both ends joined together.  

Slang: Can change depending on material: Grommet (wire rope), Short Splice (synthetic rope). They can also be called Infinite Loops or Belts.  

Standard Eye Wire Rope Sling: A single-part or multi-part wire rope sling where the eyes are made from the wire rope and does not contain a thimble in the eye.  

Slang: Soft eyes  

Thimble Eye Wire Rope Sling: A single-part or multi-part wire rope sling where the eyes contain a steel thimble added to reinforce and help keep the integrity and construction of the, providing a barrier between the wire strands and the rigging. 

Slang: Hard eyes  

Flemish Eye Splice: A mechanical splice formed by unlaying the wire rope body into two parts and reforming it to create a loop or eye. The splice is completed by pressing (swaging) a metal sleeve over the rope juncture. 

Slang: Mechanical splice  

Turnback Swaged Eye Splice: A mechanical splice in which the rope is looped back on itself and secured with one or more metal sleeves.  

Slang: Return loop and fold back are common. 

Industry Specific Slings 

Snub Line: A single leg wire rope sling with standard or thimble eyes between 5/8” and 1” diameter and usually 4’ in length attached to the tong on a drilling rig and used to assist in the snubbing process. 

Stinger: A single leg wire rope sling assembly with thimble eyes containing a master link on one end of the sling, while the other end often contains either a hook or a shackle. 

Protection  

Slingmax® CornerMax® Sling Protection Sleeve During Heavy Lift

Sling Protection: Specialized materials or devices added to a sling or a load to protect the sling from damage or protect the load from damage caused by the sling.  

Slang: Softeners 


Mazzella / ITI Rigging Gear Inspection Reference Guide

Rigging Equipment and Hardware

Shackle: A U-shaped, load-bearing connector designed to be used with a removable pin.  

Slang: Clevis, D-Ring, Crosby  

Bolt Type Shackle: A shackle that features the combination of a bolt and nut located alongside a cotter pin. These types of shackles remain secure when the shackle us subjected to rotation or torque 

Slang:  Four Parts  

Master Link: A basic type of rigging hardware, consisting of a single metal hoop. 

Slang: Can also be called a ring, oblong, pear link, d-ring, or bull ring depending on the shape.  

Sorting Hooks: A hook used to sort or lay out products like flat plates, pipes, or other tube-shaped objects. They’re used in multi-leg sling assemblies for applications where the object or item will engage to the full depth of the throat of the hook 

Slang: Shake Out Shacks, Lay Out Hooks 

Self-Closing Latch: A spring-loaded latch, gate, or bail closing a hook throat opening that is manually opened for loading and closes upon release. It may be locked in position.  

Slang: Catch, Flapper, Mouse 

Hoist Ring: A piece of rigging equipment hardware that screws into an engineered lifting point on a load connecting the rigging with the capability of pivoting and / or swiveling to accommodate lifting at angles without incurring damage to the device.  

Slang: Lift Ring, Load Ring 

Plate Clamp: A lifting device used to secure, grip, and lift flat metal plate.  

Slang: Plate Dog 

 

Wire Rope Clips: A fitting for clamping two parts of wire rope of the same diameter to each other by compressing the wire ropes between a saddle and a U-bolt or between two saddles. 

Slang: Cable Clamps 

Wire Rope End Terminations: Sockets, Wire Rope Clips, and Splices: Wire Rope Clips

U-Bolt Wire Rope Clip: Wire rope clip using one saddle and a U-bolt 

Slang: Crosby  

Double Saddle Wire Rope Clip: Wire rope clip using two saddles  

Slang: Fist Grips, Monkey Fist  

Wire Rope Grip: A type of cable grip designed for pulling wires and cables using a light, compact grip.  

Slang: Pork Chop, Rope Dog, Cable Grip, Haven Grip, Wire Rope Puller  

Wedge Socket: An end fitting that terminates a wire rope by compressing the wire rope between a wedge and socket body. 

Slang: Becket, Turnback Becket  

Overhaul Ball: Attachments used to add weight to a crane rope so that the crane lines are kept taut. This prevents spooling and twisting issues that would ultimately create permanent damage to the crane.  

Slang: Headache Ball  

Cranes and Hoists 

Lever Hoist: A manual lever-operated device used to lift, lower, or pull a load and to apply or release tension. 

Slang: Come Along  

The CM Hurricane Mini 360° Hand Chain Hoist…An Honest Review: Featured

Hand Chain Hoist: A machinery unit that is used for lifting or lowering a freely suspended (unguided) load using a chain grasped by a person to apply force required for lifting and lowering motion.  

Sland: Chain Block, Chain Fall  

Electric Hoist: Can be designed to use chain or wire rope, and use an electric motor to turn gears located inside the hoist that lift or lower the load.  

Slang: Motors 

Strain Cable / Pull Cord Control On a Pneumatic Air Hoist:  

Pull Cord Control; Pull top handle (marked with arrow pointing up) down to raise load. Pull bottom handle (marked with arrow pointing down) to lower load. Release handle being used to stop either lifting or lowering.  

Strain cable; On pendant throttle control, the valve handle is supported by a strain cable that is suitable for pulling trolley-suspended hoists when empty or light loaded. Push on load or load chain to traverse heavily loaded hoists.   

Slang: Tugger Wire 

Pendant Station: Controls suspended from the equipment for operating the unit from the floor. 

Slang: Banana, Pickle 

Final Thoughts  

Depending on the industry you work in, your job title, the age demographic you belong to, or the part of the country / world you live in, the terminology for important rigging tools and processes can change.  

You may be new to the industry and want to better understand rules and regulations. You may oversee ordering equipment and want to better communicate with vendors. You may be moving to a different part of the country for work. You could also be getting a promotion and want to better communicate out in the field. Whatever it is, we hope this article helped you better understand the language of lifting and rigging.  

Whatever you need, Mazzella’s team of industry experts, vast distribution networks, and strong partnerships with top brands can help you get your projects done safely and efficiently.  

Shop on our e-commerce site, and reach out to an associate if you have questions.  


Copyright 2025. Mazzella Companies.


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Disclaimer:

Any advice, graphics, images, and/or information contained herein are presented for general educational and information purposes and to increase overall safety awareness. It is not intended to be legal, medical, or other expert advice or services, and should not be used in place of consultation with appropriate industry professionals. The information herein should not be considered exhaustive and the user should seek the advice of appropriate professionals.