Sailor's Word-book, A - C — Ap - Ar
ANY PORT IN A STORM signifies contentment with whatever may betide.
APAGOGE.
A mathematical progress from one proposition to another.
APE, OR SEA-APE.
The long-tailed shark.
Also, an active American seal.
APEEK.
A ship drawn directly over the anchor is _apeek_: when the fore-stay and cable form a line, it is _short stay apeek_; when in a line with the main-stay, _long stay apeek_.
The anchor is _apeek_ when the cable has been sufficiently hove in to bring the ship over it.
--_Yards apeek.
_ When they are topped up by contrary lifts.
(_See_ PEAK.
) APERTAE.
Ancient deep-waisted ships, with high-decked forecastle and poop.
APERTURE, in astronomy.
The opening of a telescope tube next the object-glass, through which the rays of light and image of the object are conveyed to the eye.
It is usually estimated by the clear diameter of the object-glass.
APEX.
The summit or vertex of anything; as the upper point of a triangle.
APHELION.
That point in the orbit of a planet or comet which is most remote from the sun, and at which the angular motion is slowest; being the end of the greater elliptic axis.
The opposite of _perihelion_.
APHELLAN.
The name of the double star {a} Geminorum, better known as Castor.
APHRACTI.
Ancient vessels with open waists, resembling the present Torbay-boats.
APLANATIC.
That refraction which entirely corrects the aberration and colour of the rays of light.
APLETS.
Nets for the herring-fishery.
APLUSTRE.
A word applied in ancient vessels both to the ornament on the prow and to the streamer or ensign on the stern.
Here, as in the rudder-head of Dutch vessels frequently, the dog-vane was carried to denote the direction of the wind.
APOBATHRAE.
Ancient gang-boards from the ship to the quays.
APOCATASTASIS.
The time in which a planet returns to the same point of the zodiac whence it departed.
APOGEE.
That point of the moon's orbit which is furthest from the earth;
the opposite of _perigee_.
The _apogee_ of the sun is synonymous with the _aphelion_ of the earth.
The word is also used as a general term to express the greatest distance of any heavenly body from the earth.
A-POISE.
Said of a vessel properly trimmed.
APOSTLES.
The knight-heads or bollard timbers, where hawsers or heavy ropes are belayed.
APOTOME.
The difference of two incommensurable mathematical quantities.
APPALTO.
The commercial term for a monopoly in Mediterranean ports.
APPARATUS.
Ammunition and equipage for war.
APPAREL.
In marine insurance, means the _furniture_ or appurtenances of a ship, as masts, yards, sails, ground gear, guns, &c. More comprehensive than _apparatus_.
APPARELLED.
Fully equipped for service.
APPARENT.
In appearance, as visible to the eye, or evident to the mind, which in the case of astronomical motions, distances, altitudes, and magnitudes, will be found to differ materially from their real state, and require correcting to find the true place.
APPARENT EQUINOX.
The position of the equinox as affected by nutation.
APPARENT HORIZON.
_See_ HORIZON.
APPARENT MOTION.
The motion of celestial bodies as viewed from the earth.
APPARENT NOON.
The instant that the sun's centre is on the meridian of a place.
APPARENT OBLIQUITY.
The obliquity of the ecliptic affected with nutation.
APPARENT PLACE OF A STAR.
This is the position for any day which it seems to occupy in the heavens, as affected with aberration and nutation.
APPARENT TIME.
The time resulting from an observation of the sun--an expression _per contractionem_ for apparent solar time.
APPARITION.
A star or planet becoming visible after occultation.
_Perpetual apparition_ of the lesser northern circles, wherein the stars being above the horizon, never set.
APPEARANCE.
The first making of a land-fall: formerly astronomically used for phenomenon and phase.
The day of an officer's first joining a ship after his being appointed.
APPLE-PIE ORDER.
A strange but not uncommon term for a ship in excellent condition and well looked to.
Neat and orderly.
Absurdly said to be a corruption of _du pol au pied_.
APPLICATE.
The ordinate, or right line drawn across a curve, so as to be bisected by its diameter.
APPLICATION.
A word of extensive use, for the principles of adjusting, augmenting, and perfecting the relations between sciences.
APPOINTED.
Commissioned--named for a special duty.
APPOINTMENT.
The equipment, ordnance, furniture, and necessaries of a ship.
Also an officer's commission.
In the Army, _appointments_ usually imply military accoutrements, such as belts, sashes, gorgets, &c. APPORTER.
A bringer into the realm.
APPRAISEMENT.
A law instrument taken out by the captors of a vessel, who are primarily answerable for the expense.
APPRENTICE.
One who is covenanted to serve another on condition of being instructed in an art, and ships' apprentices are to the same effect.
Boys under eighteen years of age bound to masters of merchant ships were exempted from impressment for three years from the date of their indentures; which documents were in duplicate, and exempt from stamp duty.
APPROACHES.
The trenches, zig-zags, saps, and other works, by which a besieger makes good his way up to a fortified place.
(_See_ TRENCHES.
) APPROVAL.
The senior officer's signature to a demand or application.
APPROXIMATION.
A continual approach to a quantity sought, where there is no possibility of arriving at it exactly.
APPULSE.
A near approach of one heavenly body to another, so as to form an apparent contact: the term is principally used with reference to stars or planets when the moon passes close to them without causing occultation.
APRON, OR STOMACH-PIECE.
A strengthening compass timber fayed abaft the lower part of the stern, and above the foremost end of the keel; that is, from the head down to the fore dead-wood knee, to which it is scarfed.
It is sided to receive the fastenings of the fore-hoods or planking of the bow.
--_Apron of a gun_, a square piece of sheet-lead laid over the touch-hole for protecting the vent from damp; also over the gun-lock.
--_Apron of a dock_, the platform rising where the gates are closed, and on which the sill is fastened down.
APSIDES, LINE OF.
The imaginary line joining the aphelion and perihelion points in the orbit of a planet.
APSIS.
Either of the two points in planetary orbits where they are at the greatest and the least distance from the sun, and are termed _higher_ or _lower_ accordingly.
The two are joined by a diameter called the _line of the apsides_.
AQUAGE.
The old law-term denoting the toll paid for water-carriage.
AQUARIUS.
The eleventh sign in the zodiac ({a} Aquarius Sadalmelik).
AQUATIC.
Inhabiting or relating to the water.
AQUATILE.
An archaism for _aquatic_; thus Howell's lexicon describes the crocodile as "partly aquatil, partly terrestrial."
AQUATITES.
The law-term for everything living in the water.
AQUE.
Wall-sided flat-floored boats, which navigate the Rhine.
AQUEDUCT.
Conduits or canals built for the conveyance of water.
AQUILA.
The constellation Aquila, in which {a} Aquilae is an important star of the first magnitude: used by seamen in determining the latitude and longitude; also in lunar distances.
(_See_ ALTAIR.
) AQUILON.
The north-east wind, formerly much dreaded by mariners.
ARAMECH.
The Arabic name for the star Arcturus.
ARBALIST [from _arcus_ and _balista_].
An engine to throw stones, or the cross-bow used for bullets, darts, arrows, &c. ; formerly arbalisters formed part of a naval force.
ARBITER.
The judge to whom two persons refer their differences; not always judicial, but the arbiter, in his own person, of the fate of empires and peoples.
ARBITRAGE.
The referring commercial disputes to the arbitration of two or more indifferent persons.
ARBITRATION.
The settlement of disputes out of court.
ARBOR.
In chronometry, a shaft, spindle, or axis.
ARBY.
A northern name for the thrift or sea-lavender.
ARC, OR ARCH.
The segment of a circle or any curved line, by which all angles are measured.
ARC DIURNAL.
_See_ DIURNAL ARC.
ARC NOCTURNAL.
_See_ NOCTURNAL ARC.
ARC OF DIRECTION OR PROGRESSION.
The arc which a planet appears to describe when its motion is direct or progressive in the order of the signs.
ARC OF VISION.
The sun's depth below the horizon when the planets and stars begin to appear.
ARCH-BOARD.
The part of the stern over the counter, immediately under the knuckles of the stern-timbers.
ARCH OF THE COVE.
An elliptical moulding sprung over the cove of a ship, at the lower part of the taffrail.
ARCHED SQUALL.
A violent gust of wind, usually distinguished by the arched form of the clouds near the horizon, whence they rise rapidly towards the zenith, leaving the sky visible through it.
ARCHEL, ARCHIL, ORCHILL.
_Rocella tinctorum fucus_, a lichen found on the rocks of the Canary and Cape de Verde groups; it yields a rich purple.
Litmus, largely used in chemistry, is derived from it.
ARCHES.
A common term among seamen for the Archipelago.
(_See_ also GALLEY-ARCHES.
) ARCHI-GUBERNUS.
The commander of the imperial ship in ancient times.
ARCHIMEDES' SCREW.
An ingenious spiral pump for draining docks or raising water to any proposed height,--the invention of that wonderful man.
It is also used to remove grain in breweries from a lower to a higher level.
The name has been recently applied to the very important introduction in steam navigation--the propelling screw.
(_See_ SCREW-PROPELLER.
) ARCHING.
When a vessel is not strongly built there is always a tendency in the greater section to lift, and the lower sections to fall; hence the fore and after ends droop, producing arching, or _hogging_ (which see).
ARCHIPELAGO.
A corruption of Aegeopelagus, now applied to clusters of islands in general.
Originally the AEgean Sea.
An archipelago has a great number of islands of various sizes, disposed without order; but often contains several subordinate groups.
Such are the AEgean, the Corean, the Caribbean, Indian, Polynesian, and others.
ARCHITECTURE.
_See_ NAVAL ARCHITECTURE.
ARCTIC.
Northern, or lying under _arktos_, the Bear; an epithet given to the north polar regions comprised within the _arctic circle_, a lesser circle of the sphere, very nearly 23 deg.
28' distant from the north pole.
ARCTIC OCEAN.
So called from surrounding the pole within the imaginary circle of that name.
ARCTIC POLE.
The north pole of the globe.
ARCTURUS.
{a} Booetis.
A star of the first magnitude, close to the knee of Arctophylax, or Booetes.
One of the nautical stars.
ARD, OR AIRD.
A British or Gaelic term for a rocky eminence, or rocks on a wash: hence the word _hard_, in present use.
It is also an enunciation.
ARDENT.
Said of a vessel when she gripes, or comes to the wind quickly.
ARE.
The archaism for _oar_ (which see).
A measure of land in France containing 100 square metres.
AREA.
The plane or surface contained between any boundary lines.
The superficial contents of any figure or work; as, the _area_ of any square or triangle.
ARENACEOUS.
Sandy; partaking of the qualities of sand; brittle; as, _arenaceous_ limestone, quartz, &c. ARENAL.
In meteorology, a cloud of dust, often so thick as to prevent seeing a stone's-throw off.
It is common in South America, being raised by the wind from adjoining shores.
Also off the coast of Africa at the termination of the desert of Zahara.
ARENATION.
The burying of scorbutic patients up to the neck in holes in a sandy beach, for cure; also spreading hot sand over a diseased person.
AREOMETER.
An instrument for measuring the specific gravity of fluids.
ARGIN.
An old word for an _embankment_.
ARGO.
A name famous from Jason's romantic expedition, but absurdly quoted as the first ship, for the fleets of Danaus and Minos are mentioned long before, and the _Argo_ herself was chased by a squadron under AEetes.
ARGO NAVIS.
The southern constellation of the Ship, containing 9 clusters, 3 nebulae, 13 double and 540 single stars, of which about 64 are easily visible.
As most of these were invisible to the Greeks, the name was probably given by the Egyptians.
ARGOL.
The tartaric acid or lees adhering to the sides of wine-casks, particularly of port-wine; an article of commerce; supertartrate of potass.
ARGOLET.
A light horseman of the middle ages.
ARGONAUTA.
The paper-nautilus.
The sail which it was supposed to spread to catch the wind, is merely a modified arm which invests the outer surface of the shell.
ARGONAUTS.
A company of forty-four heroes who sailed in the _Argo_ to obtain the golden fleece; an expedition which fixes one of the most memorable epochs in history.
Also a Geographical Society instituted at Venice, to whom we owe the publication of all the charts, maps, and directories of Coronelli.
ARGOSY.
A merchant ship or carrack of burden, principally of the Levant;
the name is by some derived from Ragusa, but by others with more probability from the _Argo_.
Shakspeare mentions "argosies with portly sail."
Those of the Frescobaldi were the richest and most adventurous of those times.
ARGOZIN, OR ARGNESYN.
The person whose office it was to attend to the shackles of the galley-slaves, over whom he had especial charge.
ARGUMENT.
An astronomical quantity upon which an equation depends,--or any known number by which an unknown one proportional to the first may be found.
ARGUMENT OF LATITUDE.
The distance of a celestial body from one of the nodes of its orbit, upon which the latitude depends.
ARIES.
The most important point of departure in astronomy.
A northern constellation forming the first of the twelve signs of the zodiac, into which the sun enters about the 20th of March.
With Musca, Aries contains 22 nebulae, 8 double and 148 single stars, but not above 50 are visible to the unassisted eye.
The commencement of this sign, called the first point of Aries, is the origin from which the right ascensions of the heavenly bodies are reckoned upon the equator, and their longitudes upon the ecliptic.
ARIS.
Sharp corner of stones in piers and docks.
ARIS PIECES.
Those parts of a made mast which are under the hoops.
ARITHMETIC.
The art of computation by numbers; or that branch which considers their powers and properties.
ARK.
The sacred and capacious vessel built by Noah for preservation against the flood.
It was 300 cubits in length, 50 in breadth, and 30 in height; and of whatever materials it was constructed, it was pitched over or pay'd with bitumen.
_Ark_ is also the name of a mare's-tail cloud, or cirrhus, when it forms a streak across the sky.
ARLOUP.
An archaism for the deck, now called _orlop_ (which see).
ARM.
A deep and comparatively narrow inlet of the sea.
That part of an anchor on which the palm is shut.
The extremity of the bibbs which support the trestle-trees.
Each extremity or end of a yard, beam, or bracket.
--_To arm_, to fit, furnish, and provide for war; to cap and set a loadstone; to apply putty or tallow to the lower end of the lead previous to sounding, in order to draw up a specimen of the bottom.
--_To arm a shot_, is to roll rope-yarns about a cross-bar-shot, in order to facilitate ramming it home, and also to prevent the ends catching any accidental inequalities in the bore.
ARMADA.
A Spanish term signifying a royal fleet; it comes from the same root as army.
The word _armado_ is used by Shakspeare.
ARMADILLA.
A squadron of guarda-costas, which formerly cruized on the coasts of South America, to prevent smuggling.
ARMADOR.
A Spanish privateer.
ARMAMENT.
A naval or military force equipped for an expedition.
The arming of a vessel or place.
ARMAMENTA.
The rigging and tackling of an ancient ship.
It included shipmen and all the necessary furniture of war.
ARMATAE.
Ancient ships fitted with sails and oars, but which fought under the latter only.
ARM-CHEST.
A portable locker on the upper deck or tops for holding arms, and affording a ready supply of cutlasses, pistols, muskets or other weapons.
ARMED.
Completely equipped for war.
--_Armed at all points_, covered with armour.
--_Armed "en flute," see_ FLUTE.
--_Armed mast_, made of more than one tree.
--_Armed ship_, a vessel fitted out by merchants to annoy the enemy, and furnished with letters of marque, and bearing a commission from the Admiralty to carry on warlike proceedings.
ARMED STEM.
_See_ BEAK.
ARMILLARY SPHERE.
An instrument composed of various circles, to assist the student in gaining a knowledge of the arrangement and motions of the heavenly bodies.
A brass _armilla tolomaei_ was one of the instruments supplied to Martin Frobisher in 1576, price L4, 6_s.
_ 8_d.
