-
point a gun, to
To direct it on a given object.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
Point
·noun A <<Switch>>.
II. Point ·noun To mark (as Hebrew) with vowel points.
III. Point ·noun One of...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
point
To stretch a point; to exceed some usual limit, to take a great stride. Breeches were usually tied u...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
point
A low spit of land projecting from the main into the sea, almost synonymous with promontory or head....
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
middling a sail
Arranging it for bending to the yard.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
pricking a sail
The running a middle seam between the two seams which unite every cloth of a sail to the next adjoin...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
Sail
·noun A wing; a van.
II. Sail ·noun To set sail; to begin a voyage.
III. Sail ·noun The extended s...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
sail
The terms applicable to the parts of a sail comprise:
Seaming the cloths together; cutting the gor...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
roll up a sail, to
To hand it quickly.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
crowd sail, to
To carry an extraordinary press of canvas on a ship, as in pursuit of, or flight from, an enemy, &c....
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
make sail, to
To increase the quantity of sail already set, either by letting out reefs, or by setting additional ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
out-sail, to
To sail faster than another ship, or to make a particular voyage with greater despatch.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
bunt of a sail
The middle part of it, formed designedly into a bag or cavity, that the sail may gather more wind. I...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
depth of a sail
The extent of the square sails from the head-rope to the foot-rope, or the length of the after-leech...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
hullock of a sail
A small part lowered in a gale.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
skin of a sail
The outside part when a sail is furled. To furl in a clean skin, is the habit of a good seaman.
♦ ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sprit-sail top-sail
A sail extended above the sprit-sail by a yard, which hung under the jib-boom.
♦ Top-gallant sprit...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
Cover-point
·noun The fielder in the games of cricket and lacrosse who supports "point.".
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Dew-point
·noun The temperature at which dew begins to form. It varies with the humidity and temperature of th...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Dust-point
·noun An old rural game.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Libration point
·noun any one of five points in the plane of a system of two large astronomical bodies orbiting each...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Point alphabet
·add. ·- An alphabet for the blind with a system of raised points corresponding to letters.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Point applique
·add. ·- Lace having a needle-made design applied to a net ground, this ground often being machine-m...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Point d'appui
·- ·see under <<Appui>>.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Point switch
·add. ·- A switch made up of a rail from each track, both rails being tapered far back and connected...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Point-blank
·adv In a point-blank manner.
II. Point-blank ·noun The white spot on a target, at which an arrow o...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Point-device
·adj ·Alt. of Point-devise.
II. Point-device ·adv ·Alt. of Point-devise.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Point-devise
·adv <<Exactly>>.
II. Point-devise ·adj Uncommonly nice and exact; precise; particular.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Trois point
·add. ·- The third point from the outer edge on each player's home table.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Vaccine point
·add. ·- ·see <<Point>>, ·noun, 26.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Vantage point
·add. ·- A point giving advantage; vantage ground.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
needle point
A sharper.
...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
stand-point
(Germ. stand-punkt.) Place of standing; point of view. An expression lately introduced from the Germ...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
autumnal point
That part of the ecliptic whence the sun descends southward.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
balancing-point
A familiar term for centre of gravity. (See gravity, centre of.)
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
dew-point
A meteorological term for the degree of temperature at which the moisture of the atmosphere would be...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
half-point
A subdivision of the compass card, equal to 5° 37′ of the circle.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
lubber's point
A black vertical line or mark in the compass-bowl in the direction of the ship's head, by which the ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
point-beacher
A low woman of Portsmouth.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
point-blank
Direct on the object; "blank" being the old word for the mark on the practice-butt.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
point iron
A large sort of plumb for the nice adjustment of perpendicularity for a given line.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
point brass or iron
A large sort of plumb for the nice adjustment of perpendicularity for a given line.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
point-holes
The eyelet-holes for the points.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
quarter-point
A subdivision of the compass-card, equal to 2° 48′ 45″ of the circle.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
A
A, a, indecl. n. (sometimes joined with littera), the first letter of the Latin alphabet, correspond...
A New Latin Dictionary by Charlton T. Lewis Ph.D. and Charles Short, LL. D.
-
a
a, prep.=ab, v. ab.
...
A New Latin Dictionary by Charlton T. Lewis Ph.D. and Charles Short, LL. D.
-
A
A. a. as an abbreviation, 1 for the praenomen Aulus.
2 for Absolvo, on the voting-tablet of a jud...
An Elementary Latin Dictionary
-
A
·- Of.
II. A ·prep In; on; at; by.
III. A ·- An expletive, void of sense, to fill up the meter.
I...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
A 1
·- A registry mark given by underwriters (as at Lloyd's) to ships in first-class condition. Inferior...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
A-
·- A, as a prefix to English words, is derived from various sources. (1) It frequently signifies on ...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
A
Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet, as Omega is the last. These letters occur in the text...
Easton's Bible Dictionary
-
a
As for example the word alarm, alarum, a bell, from the German lärm; but the military alarm on a dru...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
William Smith's Bible Dictionary
-
Studding sail
·- A light sail set at the side of a principal or square sail of a vessel in free winds, to increase...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Water sail
·- A small sail sometimes set under a studding sail or under a driver boom, and reaching nearly to t...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Main-sail
(Gr. artemon), answering to the modern "mizzen-sail," as some suppose. Others understand the "jib," ...
Easton's Bible Dictionary
-
top sail
He paid his debts at Portsmouth with the topsail; i.e. he went to. sea and left them unpaid. SCT sol...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
drag-sail
Any sail with its clues stopped so as when veered away over the quarter to make a stop-water when ve...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
drift-sail
A contrivance, by means of immersing a sail, to diminish the drift of a ship during a gale of wind. ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
fore-sail
The principal sail set on the fore-mast. (See sail.)
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
ghrime-sail
The old term for a smoke-sail.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
lug-sail
A sail used in boats and small vessels. It is in form like a gaff-sail, but depends entirely on the ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
main-sail
This, in a square-rigged vessel, is distinguished by the so-termed square main-sail; in a fore-and-a...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sail burton
A purchase extending from topmast-head to deck, for sending sails aloft ready for bending; it usuall...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sail ho!
The exclamation used when a strange ship is first discerned at sea either from the deck or from the ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sail-hook
A small hook used for holding the seams of a sail while in the act of sewing.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sail-loft
A large apartment in dockyards where the sails are cut out and made.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sail-loosers
Men specially appointed to loose the sails when getting under weigh, or loosing them to dry.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sail-maker
A qualified person who (with his mates) is employed on board ship in making, repairing, or altering ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sail-netting
The fore-topmast staysail, main-topmast staysail, and main staysail are generally stowed in the nett...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sheer-sail
A drift-sail.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
smoke-sail
A small sail hoisted against the fore-mast when a ship rides head to wind, to give the smoke of the ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sprit-sail
A sail formerly attached to a yard which hung under the bowsprit, and of importance in naval actions...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
square-sail
The flying sail, set on the fore-yard of a schooner, or the spread-yard of a cutter or sloop.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
steering-sail
An incorrect name for a studding-sail.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
storm-sail
A sail made of stout No. 1 canvas, of reduced dimensions, for use in a gale.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
strange sail
A vessel heaving in sight, of which the particulars are unknown.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
under sail
The state of a ship when she is in motion from the action of wind on her sails.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
water-sail
A save-all, or small sail, set occasionally under the lower studding-sail or driver-boom, in a fair ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
wind-sail
A funnel of canvas employed to ventilate a ship by conveying a stream of fresh air down to the lower...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
goose-wings of a sail
The situation of a course when the buntlines and lee-clue are hauled up, and the weather-clue down. ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
To
·prep Addition; union; accumulation.
II. To ·prep Character; condition of being; purpose subserved ...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
To-
·prep An obsolete intensive prefix used in the formation of compound verbs; as in to-beat, to-break,...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
to
for at or in, is an exceedingly common vulgarism in the Northern States. We often hear such vile exp...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
broach a business, to
To begin it.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
buffet a billow, to
To work against wind and tide.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
build a chapel, to
To turn a ship suddenly by negligent steerage.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
cable, to coil a
To lay it in fakes and tiers one over the other.
♦ To lay a cable. (See laying.)
♦ To pay cheap ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
cleat a gun, to
To nail large cleats under the trucks of the lower-deckers in bad weather, to insure their not fetch...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
clinch a business, to
To finish it; to settle it beyond further dispute, as the recruit taking the shilling.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
cut a stick, to
To make off clandestinely.
♦ Cut your stick, be off, or go away.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
feather, to cut a
When a ship has so sharp a bow that she makes the spray feather in cleaving it.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
lay a gun, to
So to direct it as that its shot may be expected to strike a given object; for which purpose its axi...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
loose a rope, to
To cast it off, or let it go.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
mount a gun, to
To place it on its carriage.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
pay a yard, to
See pay a mast, to
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
pay a mast, to
or pay a yard, to
To anoint it with tar, turpentine, rosin, tallow, or varnish; tallow is particul...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
purchase a commission, to
A practice in our army, which has been aptly termed the "buying of fetters;" it is the obtaining pre...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
raise a siege, to
To abandon or cause the abandonment of a siege.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
rate a chronometer, to
To determine its daily gaining or losing rate on mean time.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
reduce a charge, to
To diminish the contents of a cartridge, sometimes requisite during heavy firing.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
reduce a place, to
To compel its commander to surrender, or vacate it by capitulation.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
return a salute, to
Admirals are saluted, but return two guns less for each rank that the saluting officer is below the ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
risk a run, to
To take chance without convoy.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
scour a beach, to
To pour a quick flanking fire along it, in order to dislodge an enemy.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
shift a berth, to
To move from one anchorage to another.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
speak a vessel, to
To pass within hail of her for that purpose.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
spin a yarn, to
To tell a long story; much prized in a dreary watch, if not tedious.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
spin a twist or a yarn, to
To tell a long story; much prized in a dreary watch, if not tedious.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
spread a fleet, to
To keep more open order.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
support a friend, to
To make every exertion to assist a vessel in distress, from whatever cause. Neglect of this incurs p...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
top a boom, to
To raise up one end of it by hoisting on the lift, as the spanker-boom is lifted before setting the ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
top a yard or boom, to
To raise up one end of it by hoisting on the lift, as the spanker-boom is lifted before setting the ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
trail a pike, to
To hold the spear end in the right hand, and the butt trailed behind the bearer.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
traverse a yard, to
To get it fore and aft.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
turn, to catch a
To pass a rope once or twice round a cleat, pin, kevel, or any other thing, to keep it fast.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
turn, to take or catch a
To pass a rope once or twice round a cleat, pin, kevel, or any other thing, to keep it fast.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
turn a turtle, to
To take the animal by seizing a flipper, and throwing him on his back, which renders him quite helpl...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
wend a course, to
To sail steadily on a given direction.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
wind a boat, to
To change her position by bringing her stern round to the place where the head was. (See wending.)
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
wind a ship or boat, to
To change her position by bringing her stern round to the place where the head was. (See wending.)
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
work a ship, to
To adapt the sails to the force and direction of the wind.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
wring a mast, to
To bend, cripple, or strain it out of its natural position by setting the shrouds up too taut. The p...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
bring-to, to
To bend, as to bring-to a sail to the yard. Also, to check the course of a ship by trimming the sail...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
broach-to, to
To fly up into the wind. It generally happens when a ship is carrying a press of canvas with the win...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
heave-to, to
To put a vessel in the position of lying-to, by adjusting her sails so as to counteract each other, ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
lie-to, to
To cause a vessel to keep her head steady as regards a gale, so that a heavy sea may not tumble into...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
round-to, to
To bring to, or haul to the wind by means of the helm. To go round, is to tack or wear.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
point-blank firing
That wherein no elevation is given to the gun, its axis being pointed for the object.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
point-blank range
The distance to which a shot was reckoned to range straight, without appreciable drooping from the f...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
to carry a horse to water
instead of lead or ride him to water. A Southern expression.--Sherwood, Georgia.
...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
breeze, to kick up a
To excite disturbance, and promote a quarrelsome row.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
deaden a ship's way, to
To retard a vessel's progress by bracing in the yards, so as to reduce the effect of the sails, or b...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
double-bank a rope, to
To clap men on both sides.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
gather aft a sheet, to
to pull it in, by hauling in slack.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
hold a good wind, to
To have weatherly qualities.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
kick up a dust, to
To create a row or disturbance.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
lay up a ship, to
To dismantle her.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
shake out, a reef, to
See let out, a reef, to
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
let out, a reef, to
, or shake out, a reef, to
To increase the dimensions of a sail, by untying the points confining a...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
luff into a harbour, to
To sail into it, shooting head to wind, gradually. A ship is accordingly said to spring her luff whe...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
pay a vessel's bottom, to
To cover it with tallow, sulphur, rosin, &c. (See breaming.)
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
pick up a wind, to
Traverses made by oceanic voyagers; to run from one trade or prevalent wind to another, with as litt...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
run down a coast, to
To sail along it, keeping parallel to or skirting its dangers.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
run down a vessel, to
To pass over, into, or foul her by running against her end-on, so as to jeopardize her.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
run out a warp, to
To carry a hawser out from the ship by a boat, and fasten it to some distant place to remove the shi...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
stretch along a brace, to
To lay it along the decks in readiness for the men to lay hold of; called manning it.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
thwart-marks, to a harbour
Two objects on the land, which, brought into line with each other, mark the safe course between shoa...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
lie-to, in a gale
, is, by a judicious balance of canvas, to keep a ship's bow to the sea, and, with as much as she ca...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
try, to, or lie-to, in a gale
, is, by a judicious balance of canvas, to keep a ship's bow to the sea, and, with as much as she ca...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
turn in a heart, to
To seize the end of a shroud or stay, &c., securely round it.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
under-run a warp, to
To haul a boat along underneath it, in order to clear it, if any part happens to be foul. To under-r...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
under-run a hawser or warp, to
To haul a boat along underneath it, in order to clear it, if any part happens to be foul. To under-r...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
main-sail haul!
The order given to haul the after-yards round when the ship is nearly head to wind in tacking.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
press of sail
As much sail as the state of the wind, &c., will permit a ship to carry.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sprit-sail yard
A yard slung across the bowsprit, lashed to the knight-heads, and used to spread the guys of the jib...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sprit-sail yarding
A cruelty in which some fishermen wreak vengeance on sharks, dog-fish, &c., that encroach on their b...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
square main-sail
See main-sail.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
square-sail boom
A boom hooked on to an eye-bolt in the fore-part of the fore-mast of a fore-and-aft vessel, to boom ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
studding-sail boom
A spar rigged out for the purpose of setting a studding-sail, and taking its name from the sail it b...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
studding-sail yard
The spar to which the head of the studding-sail is extended.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
top-sail haul!
or main-topsail haul!
When the main-sail is not set, this is the order given to haul the after-yar...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
veer a buoy in a ship's wake, to
To slack out a rope to which a buoy has been attached, and let it go astern, for the purpose of brin...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
A cappella
·- A time indication, equivalent to alla breve.
II. A cappella ·- In church or chapel style;
— sai...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
A cheval
·add. ·- Astride; with a part on each side;
— used specif. in designating the position of an army w...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
A fortiori
·- With stronger reason.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
A posteriori
·- Applied to knowledge which is based upon or derived from facts through induction or experiment; i...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
A priori
·- Applied to knowledge and conceptions assumed, or presupposed, as prior to experience, in order to...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
A-mornings
·adv In the morning; every morning.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
A-sea
·adv On the sea; at sea; toward the sea.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
A-tiptoe
·adv On tiptoe; eagerly expecting.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Due-a
·noun ·see Do-a.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Pi-a
·add. ·noun The <<Pineapple>>.
II. Pi-a ·add. ·noun Pi-a cloth or the fiber of which it is made.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Vicu-a
·noun ·Alt. of <<Vicugna>>.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
a-many
a great number, pronounced Meyny. North.
...
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
-
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
-
a-scat
broken like an egg. Dev.
...
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
-
a-slat
crack'd like an earthen vessel. Dev.
...
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
-
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
-
a-burton
The situation of casks when they are stowed in the hold athwart ship, or in a line with the beam.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
a-cockbill
(see cock-bill). The anchor hangs by its ring at the cat-head, in a position for dropping.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
a-hull
A ship under bare poles and her helm a-lee, driving from wind and sea, stern foremost. Also a ship d...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
a-lee
The contrary of a-weather: the position of the helm when its tiller is borne over to the lee-side of...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
a-poise
Said of a vessel properly trimmed.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
a-starboard
The opposite to a-port.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
a-stay
Said of the anchor when, in heaving in, the cable forms such an angle with the surface as to appear ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
a-trip
The anchor is a-trip, or a-weigh, when the purchase has just made it break ground, or raised it clea...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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a-wash
Reefs even with the surface. The anchor just rising to the water's edge, in heaving up.
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The Sailor's Word-Book
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a-weather
The position of the helm when its tiller is moved to the windward side of the ship, in the direction...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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a-weigh
The anchor being a-trip, or after breaking out of the ground.
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The Sailor's Word-Book
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put to sea, to
To quit a port or roadstead, and proceed to the destination.
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The Sailor's Word-Book
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turn to windward, to
To gain on the wind by alternate tacking. It is when a ship endeavours to make progress against the ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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Lean-to
·adj Having only one slope or pitch;
— said of a roof.
II. Lean-to ·noun A shed or slight building...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
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Set-to
·noun A contest in boxing, in an argument, or the like.
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Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
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To-beat
·vt To beat thoroughly or severely.
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Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
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To-break
·vt To break completely; to break in pieces.
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Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
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To-brest
·vt To burst or break in pieces.
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Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
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To-day
·noun The present day.
II. To-day ·prep On this day; on the present day.
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Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
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To-do
·noun Bustle; stir; commotion; ado.
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Webster's Dictionary of the English Language