-
Difficulties
·pl of <<Difficulty>>.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Weather
·noun Storm; tempest.
II. Weather ·noun A light rain; a shower.
III. Weather ·vt To place (a hawk)...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
weather
[from the Anglo-Saxon wæder, the temperature of the air]. The state of the atmosphere with regard to...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
commit one's self, to
To break through regulations. To incur responsibility without regard to results.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
report one's self, to
When an officer returns on board from duty, or from leave of absence.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
knowing ones
Sportsmen on the turf, who from experience and an acquaintance with the jockies, are supposed to be ...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
make bad weather, to
A ship rolling, pitching, or leaking violently in a gale.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
weather the cape, to
To become experienced; as it implies sailing round Cape Horn, or the Cape of Good Hope.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
Fair-weather
·adj Appearing only when times or circumstances are prosperous; as, a fair-weather friend.
II. Fair...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Weather map
·add. ·- A map or chart showing the principal meteorological elements at a given hour and over an ex...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Weather signal
·add. ·- Any signal giving information about the weather. The system used by the United States Weath...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Weather station
·add. ·- A station for taking meteorological observations, making weather forecasts, or disseminatin...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Weather-beaten
·adj Beaten or harassed by the weather; worn by exposure to the weather, especially to severe weathe...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Weather-bit
·noun A turn of the cable about the end of the windlass, without the bits.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Weather-bitten
·adj Eaten into, defaced, or worn, by exposure to the weather.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Weather-board
·vt To nail boards upon so as to lap one over another, in order to exclude rain, snow, ·etc.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Weather-bound
·adj Kept in port or at anchor by storms; delayed by bad weather; as, a weather-bound vessel.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Weather-driven
·adj Driven by winds or storms; forced by stress of weather.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
Weather-fend
·vt To defend from the weather; to <<Shelter>>.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
weather-breeder
A cloudless sky, after a succession of rainy weather, denotes rain, and is said to be a weatherbreed...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
clittery weather
changeable weather, inclinable to be stormy. Hamp.
...
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
-
cluttery weather
changeable weather, inclinable to be stormy. Hamp.
...
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
-
leasty weather
dull, wet, dirty. Norf. and Suff.
...
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
-
rawky weather
raw, cold. North.
...
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
-
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
-
blowing weather
A nautical term for a continuance of strong gales. (See gale.)
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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boldering weather
Cloudy and thundery.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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fair-weather
That to which a ship may carry the small sails.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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foul weather
That which reduces a ship to snug-sail.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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gage, weather
When one ship is to windward of another she is said to have the weather-gage of her; or if in the op...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
sprat weather
The dark days of November and December, so called from that being the most favourable season for cat...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
weather-anchor
That lying to windward, by which a ship rides when moored.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-beam
A direction at right angles with the keel, on the weather side of the ship.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-bitt
Is that which holds the weather-cable when the ship is moored.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-board
That side of the ship which is to windward.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-boards
Pieces of plank placed in the ports of a ship when laid up in ordinary; they are in an inclined posi...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-borne
Pressed by wind and sea.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-bound
Detained by foul winds; our forefathers used the term wæder fæst.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-breeders
Certain appearances in the heavens which indicate a gale, as wind-galls, fog-dogs, &c.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-cloths
Coverings of painted canvas or tarpaulin, used to preserve the hammocks when stowed, from injury by ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
weather-coil
When a ship has her head brought about, so as to lie that way which her stern did before, as by the ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
weather-coiling
A ship resuming her course after being taken aback; rounding off by a stern-board, and coming up to ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
weather-eye
"Keep your weather-eye open," be on your guard; look out for squalls.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-gage
A vessel has the weather-gage of another when she is to windward of her. Metaphorically, to get the ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
weather-gall
"A weather-gall at morn,
Fine weather all gone."
(See wind-gall.)
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-glass
A familiar term for the barometer.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-gleam
A peculiar clear sky near the horizon, with great refraction.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-go
The end of a rainbow, as seen in the morning in showery weather.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-head
The secondary rainbow.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-helm
A ship is said to carry a weather-helm when she is inclined to gripe, or come too near the wind, and...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-lurch
A heavy roll to windward.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-rolls
Those inclinations, so inviting to coming waves, which a ship makes to windward in a heavy sea; the ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
weather-ropes
An early term for those which were tarred.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-sheets
Those fast to the weather-clues of the sails.
"Haul over the weather-sheets forward," applies to t...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
weather-shore
The shore which lies to windward of a ship.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-side
That side of a ship on which the wind blows; it is the promenade for superior officers. (See also it...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
weather-tide
The reverse of lee-tide. That which, running contrary to the direction of the wind, by setting again...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
weather-warning
The telegraphic cautionary warning given by hoisting the storm-drum on receiving the forecast.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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weather-wheel
The position of the man who steers a large ship, from his standing on the weather-side of the wheel....
The Sailor's Word-Book
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winnold-weather
An eastern-county term for stormy March weather.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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To
·prep Addition; union; accumulation.
II. To ·prep Character; condition of being; purpose subserved ...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
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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.
-
to feather one's nest
To enrich one's self.
...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to knuckle one's wipe
To steal his handkerchief.
...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to ape one's betters
To imitate one's superiors.
The negroes are good singers; they are an imitative race, and it is not...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
to bark one's shins
To knock the skin off the shins by stumbling or striking against something.
Mr. Hortshorne calls th...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
to cut one's stick
To be off, to leave immediately and go with all speed. A vulgar expression, and often heard. It is a...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
to feather one's nest
To collect riches together; alluding to birds which collect feathers, among other materials, for mak...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
to find one's self
To provide for one's self. When a laborer engages to provide himself with victuals, he is said to fi...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
to fix one's flint
is a phrase taken from backwoods life, and means the same as to settle; to do for; to dish.
"Take i...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
to raise one's bristles
To excite one's anger.
I cane to Congress in 1827, as honestly the friend of Gen. Jackson as any ma...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
to run one's face
To make use of one's credit. 'To run one's face for a thing,' is to get it on tick.
Any one who can...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
to settle one's hash
To properly punish one. We also say, 'to settle his business;' 'to fix his flint.'
Brave Prudhoe tr...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
to shoot one's grandmother
is a common though vulgar phrase in New England, and means to be mistaken, or to be disappointed; to...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
above one's bend
Out of one's power; beyond reach. A common expression in the Western States.
I shall not attempt to...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
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
-
foul-weather breeder
A name given to the Gulf Stream from such a volume of warm water occasioning great perturbations in ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
foul-weather flag
Denotes danger for boats leaving the shore; watermen's fares increase with these signals.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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hard-a-weather!
The order so to place the tiller as to bring the rudder on the lee-side of the stern-post, whichever...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
taut weather-helm
See taut helm
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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put to sea, to
To quit a port or roadstead, and proceed to the destination.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
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
-
casting up one's accounts
Vomiting.
...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to be on one's taps
is to be always ready on one's feet, literally on one's shoes; a metaphor borrowed from the shoemake...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
to hang up one's fiddle
To desist; to give up.
When a man loses his temper and ain't cool, he might as well hang up his fid...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
on one's own hook
A phrase much used in familiar language, denoting on one's own account; as, 'He is doing business on...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
break one's horn-book
to incur displeasure. South.
...
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
-
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
-
Set-to
·noun A contest in boxing, in an argument, or the like.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
To-beat
·vt To beat thoroughly or severely.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
To-break
·vt To break completely; to break in pieces.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
To-brest
·vt To burst or break in pieces.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
To-day
·noun The present day.
II. To-day ·prep On this day; on the present day.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
To-do
·noun Bustle; stir; commotion; ado.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
To-fall
·noun A lean-to. ·see Lean-to.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
To-name
·noun A name added, for the sake of distinction, to one's surname, or used instead of it.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
To-rend
·vt To rend in pieces.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
To-rent
·Impf & ·p.p. of To-rend.
...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
-
to bam
To impose on any one by a falsity; also to jeer or make fun of any one.
...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to bamboozle
To make a fool of any one, to humbug or impose on him.
...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to baste
To beat. I'll give him his bastings, I'll beat him heartily.
...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to bishop
the balls, a term used among printers, to water them.
...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to bitch
To yield, or give up an attempt through fear. To stand bitch; to make tea, or do the honours of the ...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to bite
To over-reach, or impose; also to steal.--Cant. --Biting was once esteemed a kind of wit, similar to...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to bug
A cant word among journeymen hatters, signifying the exchanging some of the dearest materials of whi...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to grab
To seize a man. The pigs grabbed the kiddey for a crack: the officers, seized the youth for a burgla...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to top
To cheat, or trick: also to insult: he thought to have topped upon me. Top; the signal among taylors...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to tower
To overlook, to rise aloft as in a high tower.
...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
to twig
To observe. Twig the cull, he is peery; observe the fellow, he is watching us. Also to disengage, sn...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
-
hump, to
v.
to shoulder, carry on the back;especially, to hump the swag, or bluey, or drum. See Swag, Bluey,...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
-
jump, to
v.
to take possession of a claim(mining) on land, on the ground that a former possessor hasabandone...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
-
to buckle-to
To set about any task with energy and a determination to effect the object. It probably comes from h...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
to cotton to
'To cotton to one,' is to take a liking to him; to fancy him; literally to stick to him, as cotton w...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
-
abase, to
An old word signifying to lower a flag or sail. Abaisser is in use in the French marine, and both ma...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
abate, to
An old Anglo-Norman word from abattre, to beat down or destroy; as, to abate a castle or fort, is to...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
abet, to
To excite or encourage a common word, greatly in use at boat-racings, and other competitive acts.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
abrase, to
To dubb or smooth planks.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
accoil, to
To coil together, by folding round. (See coil.)
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
accompany, to
To sail together; to sail in convoy.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
accost, to
To pass within hail of a ship; to sail coastwise; to approach, to draw near, or come side by side.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
adjourn, to
To put off till another day. Adjournments can be made in courts-martial from day to day, Sundays exc...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
adjust, to
To arrange an instrument for use and observation; as, to adjust a sextant, or the escapement of a ch...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
advance, to
An old word, meaning to raise to honour.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
aid, to
To succour; to supply with provisions or stores.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
allow, to
To concede a destined portion of stores, &c.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
annul, to
To nullify a signal.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
answer, to
To reply, to succeed; as, the frigate has answered the signal. This boat will not answer.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
commute, to
To lighten the sentence of a court-martial, on a recommendation of the court to the commander-in-chi...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
compass, to
To curve; also to obtain one's object.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
complain, to
The creaking of masts, or timbers, when over-pressed, without any apparent external defect. One man ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
compliment, to
To render naval or military honour where due.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
conquer, to
To overcome decidedly.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
consign, to
To send a consignment of goods to an agent or factor for sale or disposal.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
copper, to
To cover the ship's bottom with prepared copper.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
corn, to
A remainder of the Anglo-Saxon ge-cyrned, salted. To preserve meat for a time by salting it slightly...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
couple, to
To bend two hawsers together; coupling links of a cable; coupling shackles.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
cripple, to
To disable an enemy's ship by wounding his masts, yards, and steerage gear, thereby placing him hors...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
cund, to
To give notice which way a shoal of fish is gone.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
cure, to
To salt meat or fish.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
debark, to
To land; to go on shore.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
decamp, to
To raise the camp; the breaking up from a place where an army has been encamped.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
deck, to
A word formerly in use for to trim, as "we deckt up our sails."
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
derrick, to
A cant term for setting out on a small not over-creditable enterprise. The act is said to be named f...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
diddle, to
To deceive.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
ding, to
To dash down or throw with violence.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
dip, to
To lower. An object is said to be dipping when by refraction it is visible just above the horizon. A...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
discourse, to
An old sea term to traverse to and fro off the proper course.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
dish, to
To supplant, ruin, or frustrate.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
dismount, to
To break the carriages of guns, and thereby render them unfit for service. Also, in gun exercise, to...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
disorganize, to
To degrade a man-of-war to a privateer by irregularity.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
dive, to
To descend or plunge voluntarily head-foremost under the water. To go off deck in the watch. A ship ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
doff, to
To put aside.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
double, to
To cover a ship with an extra planking, usually of 4 inches, either internally or externally, when t...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
douse, to
To lower or slacken down suddenly; expressed of a sail in a squall of wind, an extended hawser, &c. ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
dout, to
To put out a light; to extinguish; do out. Shakspeare makes the dauphin of France say in "King Henry...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
dress, to
To place a fleet in organized order; also, to arrange men properly in ranks; to present a true conti...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
drive, to
[from the Anglo-Saxon dryfan].
A ship drives when her anchor trips or will not hold. She drives to...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
dubb, to
To smooth and cut off with an adze the superfluous wood.
♦ To dubb a vessel bright, is to remove t...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
duck, to
To dive, or immerse another under water; or to avoid a shot.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
egg, to
To instigate, incite, provoke, to urge on: from the Anglo-Saxon eggion.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
eke, to
[Anglo-Saxon eácan, to prolong.] To make anything go far by reduction and moderation, as in shorteni...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
embark, to
To go on board, or to put on board a vessel.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
endanger, to
To expose to peril.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
enrol, to
To enter the name on the roll of a corps.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
ensconce, to
To intrench; to protect by a slight fortification.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
equip, to
A term frequently applied to the business of fitting a ship for a trading voyage, or arming her for ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
export, to
To send goods or commodities out of a country, for the purposes of traffic, under the general name o...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
faff, to
To blow in flaws.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
fag, to
to tire
♦ A fag. A deputy labouring-man, or one who works hard for another.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
fall, to
A town or fortress is said to fall when it is compelled to surrender to besiegers.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
fang, to
To pour water into a pump in order to fetch it, when otherwise the boxes do not hold the water left ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
favour, to
to be careful of; also to be fair for.
"Favour her" is purely a seaman's term; as when it blows in...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
fay, to
To fit any two pieces of wood, so as to join close and fair together; the plank is said to fay to th...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
feaze, to
To untwist, to unlay ropes; to teaze, to convert it into oakum.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
flying-to
Is when a vessel, from sailing free or having tacked, and her head thrown much to leeward, is coming...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
founder, to
to fill with water and go down.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
frap, to
To bind tightly together. To pass lines round a sail to keep it from blowing loose. To secure the fa...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
free, to
♦ To free a prisoner. To restore him to liberty.
♦ To free a pump. To disengage or clear it.
♦ T...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
freeze, to
To congeal water or any fluid. Thus sea-water freezes at 28° 5′ Fah.; fresh water at 32°; mercury at...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
freshen, to
To relieve a rope of its strain, or danger of chafing, by shifting or removing its place of nip.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
gip, to
To take the entrails out of fishes.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
gird, to
To bind; used formerly for striking a blow.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
glent, to
To turn aside or quit the original direction, as a shot does from accidentally impinging on a hard s...
The Sailor's Word-Book
-
glower, to
to stare or look intently.
...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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grabble, to
To endeavour to hook a sunk article. To catch fish by hand in a brook.
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The Sailor's Word-Book
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grapple, to
To hook with a grapnel; to lay hold of. First used by Duilius to prevent the escape of the Carthagin...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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grave, to
To clean a vessel's bottom, and pay it over.
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The Sailor's Word-Book
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grill, to
To broil on the bars of the galley-range, as implied by its French derivation.
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The Sailor's Word-Book
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griped-to
The situation of a boat when secured by gripes.
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The Sailor's Word-Book
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ground, to
To take the bottom or shore; to be run aground through ignorance, violence, or accident.
♦ To stri...
The Sailor's Word-Book
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guddle, to
To catch fish with the hands by groping along a stream's bank.
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The Sailor's Word-Book
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gudge, to
To poke or prod for fish under stones and banks of a river.
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The Sailor's Word-Book