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From Complete Book of The Sailor's Word-Book: An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc.
By Unknown Author
ONE O'CLOCK. Like one o'clock. With speed; rapidly.
ONERARIÆ. Ancient ships of burden, with both sails and oars.
ONE, TWO, THREE! The song with which the seamen bowse out the bowlines; the last haul being completed by belay O![507]
ONION-FISH. The Cepola rubescens, whose body peels into flakes like that vegetable. It is of a pale red colour.
ON SERVICE. On duty.
ON-SHORE WINDS. Those which blow from the offing, and render bays uncomfortable and insecure.
ON THE BEAM. Implies any distance from a ship on a line with her beams, or at right angles with the keel.
ON THE BOW. At any angle on either side of the stem up to 45°; then it is either four points on the bow, or four points before the beam.
ON THE QUARTER. Being in that position with regard to a ship, as to be included in the angles which diverge from right astern, to four points towards either quarter.
OOMIAK. A light seal-skin Greenland boat, generally worked in fine weather by the women, but in bad weather by the men.
OPEN. The situation of a place which is exposed to the wind and sea. Also, applied in meteorology, to mild weather. Also, open to attack, not protected. Also, said of any distant visible object.
OPEN HAWSE. When a vessel rides by two anchors, without any cross in her cables.
OPEN ICE. Fragments of ice sufficiently separate to admit of a ship forcing or boring through them under sail.
OPENING TRENCHES. The first breaking of ground by besiegers, in order to carry on their approaches towards a besieged place.
OPEN LIST. One of a ship's books, which contains the whole of the names of the actual officers and crew, in order to regulate their victualling. The crew are mustered by the open list.
OPEN LOWER DECKERS, To. To fire the lower tier of guns. Also said of a person using violent language.
OPEN ORDER. Any distance ordered to be preserved among ships, exceeding a cable's length.
OPEN PACK. A body of drift ice, the pieces of which, though very near each other, do not generally touch. It is opposed to close pack.
OPEN POLICY. Where the amount of the interest of the insured is not fixed by the policy, but is left to be ascertained by the insured, in case a loss shall happen.
OPEN ROADSTEAD. A place of hazard, as affording no protection either from sea or wind.
OPERATIONS. Field movements, whether offensive or defensive.
OPHIUCHUS. One of the ancient constellations, of which the lucida is Ras-al-ague, one of the selected nautical objects at Greenwich. This asterism is sometimes called Serpentarius, its Latin name, instead of its Greek.
OPINION. An experienced witness, who never saw the ship, yet may legally prove that from the description of her by another witness she was not sea-worthy.
OPOSSUM-SHRIMP. A crustacean, so named from its young being[508] carried about in a sort of pouch for some little time after being hatched; the Mysis flexuosus of naturalists.
OPPIGNORATION. The pawning of part of the cargo to get money for the payment of the duty on the remainder.
OPPOSITE TACKS. Making contrary boards. Also, a colloquialism for cross purposes.
OPPOSITION. A celestial body is said to be in opposition to the sun when their longitudes differ 180°, or half the circumference of the heavens.
OPTICK. An old term for a magnifying-glass.
ORAGIOUS. An old term for stormy or tempestuous weather:—
ORAMBY. A sort of state-barge used in the Moluccas; some of them are rowed by 40, 80, or even, it is said, 100 paddles each.
ORARIÆ. Ancient coasting vessels.
ORB. The circular figure made by a body of troops.
ORBIT. The path described by a planet or comet round the sun.
ORBITAL. Relating to the orbit of a heavenly body.
ORC. Wrack or sea-weed, used as manure on some of the coasts of England.
ORCA. A classical name for a large voracious sea-animal, probably a grampus. Anglicized as ork or orc; thus in the second song of Drayton's strange Polyolbion—
And Milton afterwards introduces them—
ORDER ARMS! The word of command, with muskets or carbines, to bring the butt to the ground, the piece vertical against the right side, trigger-guard to the front.—Open order and close order, are terms for keeping the fleet prepared for any particular manœuvre.
ORDER-BOOK. A book kept for the purpose of copying such occasional successive orders as the admiral, or senior officer, may find it necessary to give.
ORDERLY. The bearer of official messages, and appointed to wait upon superior officers with communications.
ORDERLY OFFICER. In the army. See Officer of the Day.
ORDER OF BATTLE. The arranging of ships or troops so as to engage the enemy to the best advantage.
ORDER OF SAILING. See Sailing, Order of.
ORDERS. Societies of knights. (See Knighthood.)
ORDERS IN COUNCIL. Decrees given by the privy council, signed by the sovereign, for important state necessities, independently of any act of parliament; but covered by an act of indemnity when it is assembled.
ORDINARY. The establishment of the persons formerly employed to take charge of the ships of war which are laid up in ordinary at several[509] harbours adjacent to the royal dockyards. These duties are now under the superintendent of the dockyard. Also, the state of such men-of-war and vessels as are out of commission and laid up.
ORDINARY SEAMAN. The rating for one who can make himself useful on board, even to going aloft, and taking his part on a top-sail or topgallant-yard, but is not a complete sailor, the latter being termed an able seaman. It would be well if our merchant seamen consisted of apprentices and A.B.'s.
ORDINARY STEP. The common march of 110 paces in a minute.
ORDNANCE. A general name for all sorts of great guns which are used in war. Also, all that relates to the artillery and engineer service.
ORDNANCE-HOY. A sloop expressly fitted for transporting ordnance stores to ships, and from port to port.
OREILLET. The ear-piece of a helmet.
OREMBI. A small korocora (which see).
ORGUES. Long-pointed beams shod with iron, hanging vertically over a gateway, to answer as a portcullis in emergency.
ORIENT. The east point of the compass.
ORIFLAMME. The banner of St. Dennis; but the term is often applied to the flags of any French commander-in-chief.
ORIGIN. Merchant ships claiming benefit for importation, must obtain and produce certificates of origin, in respect to the goods they claim for. (See Production.)
ORIGINAL ENTRY. The date at which men enter for the navy, and repair on board a guard-ship, or tender, where bedding or slops may be supplied to them, and are forwarded with them to their proper ships.
ORILLON. In fortification, a curved projection formed by the face of a bastion overlapping the end of the flank; intended to protect the latter from oblique fire; modern ricochet fire renders it of little consequence.
ORION. One of the ancient constellations, of which the lucida is the well-known nautical star Betelgeuze.
ORISONT. The horizon; thus spelled by our early navigators.
ORLOP. The lowest deck, formerly called "over-lop," consisting of a platform laid over the beams in the hold of ships of war, whereon the cables were usually coiled, and containing some cabins as well as the chief store-rooms. In trading vessels it is often a temporary deck.
ORLOP-BEAMS, or Hold-beams. Those which support the orlop-deck, but are chiefly intended to fortify the hold.
ORNAMENTS. The carvings of the head, stern, and quarters of the old ships.
ORNITHÆ. An ancient term for the periodical winds by which migratory birds were transported.
ORTHODROMIC. The course which lies on a meridian or parallel.
ORTHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION. The profile, or representation of a vertical section, of a work in fortification.
ORTIVE AMPLITUDE. The eastern one.[510]
OSCILLATING MARINE-ENGINE. A steam-engine where the top of the piston-rod is coupled with the crank, and the piston-rod moves backward and forward in the direction of the axis of the cylinder, while its extremity revolves in a circle with the crank.
OSCILLATING PUMP-SPEAR. A contrivance by which the pumps of a large vessel are worked, connected with a crank-shaft and fly-wheel, driven by handles in the same way as a winch.
OSMOND. The old term for pig-iron; a great article of lading.
OSNABURG. In commerce, a coarse linen cloth manufactured in Scotland, but resembling that made at Osnaburg in Germany.
OSPREY. The fish-hawk, Pandion haliætus; Shakspeare, in Coriolanus, says—
OS SEPIÆ. The commercial term for the sepia, or cuttle-fish bones.
OSTMEN. A corrupted form of Hoastmen.
OTSEGO BASS. Coregonus otsego, a fish of the American lakes.
OTTER-PIKE. The lesser weever, Trachinus draco; also called sea-stranger.
OTTOMITES. An old term for Turks. See Shakspeare in Othello.
OUNDING. Resembling or imitating waves; used by Chaucer and others.
OUSTER LE MER. The legal term for excuse, when a man did not appear in court on summons, for that he was then beyond the seas.
OUT-AND-OUTER. An old phrase signifying thorough excellence; a man up to his duty, and able to perform it in style.
OUT-BOARD. The outside of the ship: the reverse of in-board.
OUT-BOATS. The order to hoist out the boats.
OUT-EARING CLEAT. This is placed on the upper side of the gaff, to pass the outer earing round from the cringle.
OUTER-JIB. In sloops, where the head-sails are termed foresail-jib and outer-jib, if set from the foremast-head. It is now very common for ships to set two standing jibs, the stay and tack of the inner one being secured at the middle of the jib-boom.
OUTER TURNS and Inner Turns. The outer turns of the earing serve to extend the sail outwards along its yard. The inner turns are employed to bind the sail close to the yard.
OUTFIT. The stores with which a merchant vessel is fitted out for any voyage. Also, the providing an individual with clothes, &c.
OUT-FLANK, To. By a longer front, to overlap the enemy's opposite line, and thus gain a chance to turn his flank.
OUT-HAUL, or Out-hauler. A rope used for hauling out the tack of a jib lower studding-sail, or the clue of a boom-sail. The reverse of in-haul.
OUT-HOLLING. Clearing tide-ports, canals, and channels of mud.
OUTLANDISH. Foreign; but means with Jack a place where he does not feel at home, or a language which he does not understand.[511]
OUTLET. The effluent or stream by which a lake discharges its water. Also applied to the spot where the efflux commences.
OUT-LICKER. A corruption of out-rigger (which see).
OUT-LIER. A word which has been often used for out-rigger, but applies to outlying rocks, visible above water.
OUT-OARS. The order to take to rowing when the sails give but little way on a boat.
OUT OF COMMISSION. A ship where officers and men are paid off, and pennant hauled down.
OUT OF TRIM. A ship not properly balanced for fast sailing, which may be by a defect in the rigging or in the stowage of the hold.
OUT OF WINDING. Said of a plank or piece of timber which has a fair and even surface without any twists: the opposite of winding.
OUT OR DOWN. An exclamation of the boatswain, &c., in ordering men out of their hammocks, i.e. turn out, or your laniard will be cut.
OUT-PENSIONERS. Those entitled to pensions from Greenwich Hospital, but not admitted to "the house."
OUT-PORTS. Those commercial harbours which lie on the coasts; all ports in the United Kingdom out of London. (See Close-ports.)
OUTREGANS. Canals or ditches navigable by boats.
O., Part 2
ONE O'CLOCK. Like one o'clock. With speed; rapidly.
ONERARIÆ. Ancient ships of burden, with both sails and oars.
ONE, TWO, THREE! The song with which the seamen bowse out the bowlines; the last haul being completed by belay O![507]
ONION-FISH. The Cepola rubescens, whose body peels into flakes like that vegetable. It is of a pale red colour.
ON SERVICE. On duty.
ON-SHORE WINDS. Those which blow from the offing, and render bays uncomfortable and insecure.
ON THE BEAM. Implies any distance from a ship on a line with her beams, or at right angles with the keel.
ON THE BOW. At any angle on either side of the stem up to 45°; then it is either four points on the bow, or four points before the beam.
ON THE QUARTER. Being in that position with regard to a ship, as to be included in the angles which diverge from right astern, to four points towards either quarter.
OOMIAK. A light seal-skin Greenland boat, generally worked in fine weather by the women, but in bad weather by the men.
OPEN. The situation of a place which is exposed to the wind and sea. Also, applied in meteorology, to mild weather. Also, open to attack, not protected. Also, said of any distant visible object.
OPEN HAWSE. When a vessel rides by two anchors, without any cross in her cables.
OPEN ICE. Fragments of ice sufficiently separate to admit of a ship forcing or boring through them under sail.
OPENING TRENCHES. The first breaking of ground by besiegers, in order to carry on their approaches towards a besieged place.
OPEN LIST. One of a ship's books, which contains the whole of the names of the actual officers and crew, in order to regulate their victualling. The crew are mustered by the open list.
OPEN LOWER DECKERS, To. To fire the lower tier of guns. Also said of a person using violent language.
OPEN ORDER. Any distance ordered to be preserved among ships, exceeding a cable's length.
OPEN PACK. A body of drift ice, the pieces of which, though very near each other, do not generally touch. It is opposed to close pack.
OPEN POLICY. Where the amount of the interest of the insured is not fixed by the policy, but is left to be ascertained by the insured, in case a loss shall happen.
OPEN ROADSTEAD. A place of hazard, as affording no protection either from sea or wind.
OPERATIONS. Field movements, whether offensive or defensive.
OPHIUCHUS. One of the ancient constellations, of which the lucida is Ras-al-ague, one of the selected nautical objects at Greenwich. This asterism is sometimes called Serpentarius, its Latin name, instead of its Greek.
OPINION. An experienced witness, who never saw the ship, yet may legally prove that from the description of her by another witness she was not sea-worthy.
OPOSSUM-SHRIMP. A crustacean, so named from its young being[508] carried about in a sort of pouch for some little time after being hatched; the Mysis flexuosus of naturalists.
OPPIGNORATION. The pawning of part of the cargo to get money for the payment of the duty on the remainder.
OPPOSITE TACKS. Making contrary boards. Also, a colloquialism for cross purposes.
OPPOSITION. A celestial body is said to be in opposition to the sun when their longitudes differ 180°, or half the circumference of the heavens.
OPTICK. An old term for a magnifying-glass.
ORAGIOUS. An old term for stormy or tempestuous weather:—
ORAMBY. A sort of state-barge used in the Moluccas; some of them are rowed by 40, 80, or even, it is said, 100 paddles each.
ORARIÆ. Ancient coasting vessels.
ORB. The circular figure made by a body of troops.
ORBIT. The path described by a planet or comet round the sun.
ORBITAL. Relating to the orbit of a heavenly body.
ORC. Wrack or sea-weed, used as manure on some of the coasts of England.
ORCA. A classical name for a large voracious sea-animal, probably a grampus. Anglicized as ork or orc; thus in the second song of Drayton's strange Polyolbion—
And Milton afterwards introduces them—
ORDER ARMS! The word of command, with muskets or carbines, to bring the butt to the ground, the piece vertical against the right side, trigger-guard to the front.—Open order and close order, are terms for keeping the fleet prepared for any particular manœuvre.
ORDER-BOOK. A book kept for the purpose of copying such occasional successive orders as the admiral, or senior officer, may find it necessary to give.
ORDERLY. The bearer of official messages, and appointed to wait upon superior officers with communications.
ORDERLY OFFICER. In the army. See Officer of the Day.
ORDER OF BATTLE. The arranging of ships or troops so as to engage the enemy to the best advantage.
ORDER OF SAILING. See Sailing, Order of.
ORDERS. Societies of knights. (See Knighthood.)
ORDERS IN COUNCIL. Decrees given by the privy council, signed by the sovereign, for important state necessities, independently of any act of parliament; but covered by an act of indemnity when it is assembled.
ORDINARY. The establishment of the persons formerly employed to take charge of the ships of war which are laid up in ordinary at several[509] harbours adjacent to the royal dockyards. These duties are now under the superintendent of the dockyard. Also, the state of such men-of-war and vessels as are out of commission and laid up.
ORDINARY SEAMAN. The rating for one who can make himself useful on board, even to going aloft, and taking his part on a top-sail or topgallant-yard, but is not a complete sailor, the latter being termed an able seaman. It would be well if our merchant seamen consisted of apprentices and A.B.'s.
ORDINARY STEP. The common march of 110 paces in a minute.
ORDNANCE. A general name for all sorts of great guns which are used in war. Also, all that relates to the artillery and engineer service.
ORDNANCE-HOY. A sloop expressly fitted for transporting ordnance stores to ships, and from port to port.
OREILLET. The ear-piece of a helmet.
OREMBI. A small korocora (which see).
ORGUES. Long-pointed beams shod with iron, hanging vertically over a gateway, to answer as a portcullis in emergency.
ORIENT. The east point of the compass.
ORIFLAMME. The banner of St. Dennis; but the term is often applied to the flags of any French commander-in-chief.
ORIGIN. Merchant ships claiming benefit for importation, must obtain and produce certificates of origin, in respect to the goods they claim for. (See Production.)
ORIGINAL ENTRY. The date at which men enter for the navy, and repair on board a guard-ship, or tender, where bedding or slops may be supplied to them, and are forwarded with them to their proper ships.
ORILLON. In fortification, a curved projection formed by the face of a bastion overlapping the end of the flank; intended to protect the latter from oblique fire; modern ricochet fire renders it of little consequence.
ORION. One of the ancient constellations, of which the lucida is the well-known nautical star Betelgeuze.
ORISONT. The horizon; thus spelled by our early navigators.
ORLOP. The lowest deck, formerly called "over-lop," consisting of a platform laid over the beams in the hold of ships of war, whereon the cables were usually coiled, and containing some cabins as well as the chief store-rooms. In trading vessels it is often a temporary deck.
ORLOP-BEAMS, or Hold-beams. Those which support the orlop-deck, but are chiefly intended to fortify the hold.
ORNAMENTS. The carvings of the head, stern, and quarters of the old ships.
ORNITHÆ. An ancient term for the periodical winds by which migratory birds were transported.
ORTHODROMIC. The course which lies on a meridian or parallel.
ORTHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION. The profile, or representation of a vertical section, of a work in fortification.
ORTIVE AMPLITUDE. The eastern one.[510]
OSCILLATING MARINE-ENGINE. A steam-engine where the top of the piston-rod is coupled with the crank, and the piston-rod moves backward and forward in the direction of the axis of the cylinder, while its extremity revolves in a circle with the crank.
OSCILLATING PUMP-SPEAR. A contrivance by which the pumps of a large vessel are worked, connected with a crank-shaft and fly-wheel, driven by handles in the same way as a winch.
OSMOND. The old term for pig-iron; a great article of lading.
OSNABURG. In commerce, a coarse linen cloth manufactured in Scotland, but resembling that made at Osnaburg in Germany.
OSPREY. The fish-hawk, Pandion haliætus; Shakspeare, in Coriolanus, says—
OS SEPIÆ. The commercial term for the sepia, or cuttle-fish bones.
OSTMEN. A corrupted form of Hoastmen.
OTSEGO BASS. Coregonus otsego, a fish of the American lakes.
OTTER-PIKE. The lesser weever, Trachinus draco; also called sea-stranger.
OTTOMITES. An old term for Turks. See Shakspeare in Othello.
OUNDING. Resembling or imitating waves; used by Chaucer and others.
OUSTER LE MER. The legal term for excuse, when a man did not appear in court on summons, for that he was then beyond the seas.
OUT-AND-OUTER. An old phrase signifying thorough excellence; a man up to his duty, and able to perform it in style.
OUT-BOARD. The outside of the ship: the reverse of in-board.
OUT-BOATS. The order to hoist out the boats.
OUT-EARING CLEAT. This is placed on the upper side of the gaff, to pass the outer earing round from the cringle.
OUTER-JIB. In sloops, where the head-sails are termed foresail-jib and outer-jib, if set from the foremast-head. It is now very common for ships to set two standing jibs, the stay and tack of the inner one being secured at the middle of the jib-boom.
OUTER TURNS and Inner Turns. The outer turns of the earing serve to extend the sail outwards along its yard. The inner turns are employed to bind the sail close to the yard.
OUTFIT. The stores with which a merchant vessel is fitted out for any voyage. Also, the providing an individual with clothes, &c.
OUT-FLANK, To. By a longer front, to overlap the enemy's opposite line, and thus gain a chance to turn his flank.
OUT-HAUL, or Out-hauler. A rope used for hauling out the tack of a jib lower studding-sail, or the clue of a boom-sail. The reverse of in-haul.
OUT-HOLLING. Clearing tide-ports, canals, and channels of mud.
OUTLANDISH. Foreign; but means with Jack a place where he does not feel at home, or a language which he does not understand.[511]
OUTLET. The effluent or stream by which a lake discharges its water. Also applied to the spot where the efflux commences.
OUT-LICKER. A corruption of out-rigger (which see).
OUT-LIER. A word which has been often used for out-rigger, but applies to outlying rocks, visible above water.
OUT-OARS. The order to take to rowing when the sails give but little way on a boat.
OUT OF COMMISSION. A ship where officers and men are paid off, and pennant hauled down.
OUT OF TRIM. A ship not properly balanced for fast sailing, which may be by a defect in the rigging or in the stowage of the hold.
OUT OF WINDING. Said of a plank or piece of timber which has a fair and even surface without any twists: the opposite of winding.
OUT OR DOWN. An exclamation of the boatswain, &c., in ordering men out of their hammocks, i.e. turn out, or your laniard will be cut.
OUT-PENSIONERS. Those entitled to pensions from Greenwich Hospital, but not admitted to "the house."
OUT-PORTS. Those commercial harbours which lie on the coasts; all ports in the United Kingdom out of London. (See Close-ports.)
OUTREGANS. Canals or ditches navigable by boats.