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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
[425]KNIGHT-HEADS. Two large oak timbers, one on each side of the stem, rising up sufficiently above it to support the bowsprit, which is fixed between them. The term is synonymous with bollard timbers. —Knight-heads also formerly denoted in many merchant ships, two strong frames of timber fixed on the main-deck, a little behind the fore-mast, which supported the ends of the windlass. They were frequently called the bitts, and then their upper parts only were denominated the knight-heads, from having been embellished with a carved head.
(See Windlass. ) Also, a name formerly given to the lower jear-blocks, which were then no other than bitts, containing several sheaves, and nearly resembling our present topsail-sheet bitts.
KNIGHTHOOD. An institution by princes, either for the defence of religion, or as marks of honour on officers who have distinguished themselves by their valour and address. This dignity being personal, dies with the individual so honoured. The initials of our own orders are:—K. G.
, Knight of the Garter; K. T. , Knight of the Thistle; K. S. P.
, Knight of St. Patrick; G. C. B. , Grand Cross of the Bath; K.
C. B. , Knight Commander of the Bath; G. C. H.
, Knight Grand Cross of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order; K. H. , Knight of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order; G. C. M.
G. , Grand Cross of St. Michael and George; E. S. I.
, Most Exalted Star of India. The principal foreign orders worn by our navy are those of Hanover, St. Ferdinand and Merit, the Tower and Sword, Legion of Honour, Maria Theresa, St. Bento d'Avis, Cross of Charles III. , San Fernando, St.
Louis, St. Vladimir, St. Anne of Russia, Red Eagle of Prussia, Redeemer of Greece, Medjidie of Turkey, Leopold of Austria, Iron Crown of Austria, William of the Netherlands.
KNIGHTS. Two short thick pieces of wood, formerly carved like a man's head, having four sheaves in each, one of them abaft the fore-mast, called fore-knight, and the other abaft the main-mast, called main-knight.
KNITTLE. See Nettles.
KNOB, or Knobbe. An officer; perhaps from the Scotch term knabbie, the lower class of gentry.
KNOCKER. A peculiar and fetid species of West Indian cockroach, so called on account of the knocking noise they make in the night.
KNOCK OFF WORK and Carry Deals. A term used to deride the idea of any work, however light, being relaxation; just as giving up taking in heavy beams of timber and being set to carry deals, is not really knocking off work.
KNOLL. The top of a rounded hill; the head of a bank, or the most elevated part of a submarine shoal. [Perhaps derived from nowl, a provincialism for head.]
KNOPP. See Knap.
KNOT. A large knob formed on the extremity of a rope, generally by untwisting its ends, and interweaving them regularly among each other; of these there are several sorts, differing in form, size, and name, as[426] diamond knot, kop knot, overhand knot, reef knot, shroud knot, stopper knot, single wall knot, double wall knot. The bowline knot is so firmly made, and fastened to the cringles of the sails, that they must break, or the sails split, before it will slip. (See Running Bowline. ) The sheepshank knot serves to shorten a rope without cutting it, and may be presently loosened.
The wall-knot is so made with the lays of a rope that it cannot slip, and serves for sheets, tacks, and stoppers. Knots are generally used to act as a button, in preventing the end of a rope from slipping through the hole of a dead-eye, or through the turns of a laniard, by which they are sometimes made fast to other ropes. —Knot also implies a division on the log line, bearing a similar proportion to a mile, which half a minute does to an hour; that is, it is 1⁄120 of a mile; hence we say, the ship was going 8 knots, signifying 8 miles per hour. Indeed, in nautical parlance, the words knot and mile are synonyms, alluding to the geographical mile of 60′ to a degree of latitude.
KNOWL. A term commonly given to the summits of elevated lands in the west of England, therefore probably the same as knoll.
KNOWLEDGE. In admiralty law, opposed to ignorance, and the want of which is liable to heavy penalty.
KNUCKLE. A sudden angle made on some timbers by a quick reverse of shape, such as the knuckles of the counter-timbers.
KNUCKLE-RAILS. Those mouldings which are placed at the knuckles of the stern-timbers.
KNUCKLE-TIMBERS. The top-timbers in the fore-body, the heads of which stand perpendicular, and form an angle with the flare or hollow of the top-side.
KNUCKLE-UNDER. Obey your superior's order; give way to circumstances.
KNURRT. Stunted; not freely grown.
KOFF. A large Dutch coasting trader, fitted with two masts, and sails set with sprits.
KOMETA. A captain formerly elected in the Spanish navy by twelve experienced navigators.
KOOLIE, or Coolie. An Indian day-labourer and porter.
KOOND. A large cistern at a watering-place in India.
KOPEK. A Russian copper coin, 100 of which make a rouble; in value nearly a halfpenny, and named from kopea, a spear, because formerly stamped with St. George spearing the dragon.
KOROCORA. A broad-beamed Molucca vessel, with high stem and stern, and an out-rigger. It is common among the Malay islands.
KOTA. An excellent turpentine procured in India.
KOUPANG. A gold coin of Japan and the Moluccas, of various value, from 25 to 44 shillings.
KOWDIE. The New Zealand pine spars.
KRABLA. A Russian vessel, usually from Archangel, fitted for killing the whale, walrus, and other Arctic quarry.[427]
KRAKEN. The fictitious sea-monster of Norway.
KRANG. The body of a whale when divested of its blubber, and therefore abandoned by the whalers.
KRAYER. A small vessel, but perhaps larger than the cogge, being thus mentioned in the Morte Arthure—
KREE, To. A north-country word: to beat, or bruise.
KREEL. A framework of timber for the catching of fish, especially salmon. Also a crab-pot, made of osiers, on the principal of a wire mouse-trap. Also, a sportsman's fishing basket.
KRENNEL. The smaller cringle for bowline bridles, &c.
KRINGLE, To. To dry and shrivel up. Also a form of cringle (which see).
KRIS. The formidable dagger used by the Malays.
KROO-MEN, or Crew-men. Fishmen. A tribe of African negroes inhabiting Cape Palmas, Krou-settra, and Settra-krou, subjects of Great Britain, and cannot be made slaves; they are specially employed in wooding and watering where hazardous to European constitutions.
KUB-HOUSE, or Cubboos. See Caboose.
KYAR. Cordage made in India from the fibres which envelope the cocoa nut, and having the advantage of elasticity and buoyancy, makes capital cables for country ships. (See Coir.)
KYDLE. A dam in a river for taking fish—
KYLE. A bay, or arm of the sea, on our northern shores, as the Kyles of Bute, &c.
KYNTALL. An old form of quintal (which see).
K., Part 3
[425]KNIGHT-HEADS. Two large oak timbers, one on each side of the stem, rising up sufficiently above it to support the bowsprit, which is fixed between them. The term is synonymous with bollard timbers. —Knight-heads also formerly denoted in many merchant ships, two strong frames of timber fixed on the main-deck, a little behind the fore-mast, which supported the ends of the windlass. They were frequently called the bitts, and then their upper parts only were denominated the knight-heads, from having been embellished with a carved head.
(See Windlass. ) Also, a name formerly given to the lower jear-blocks, which were then no other than bitts, containing several sheaves, and nearly resembling our present topsail-sheet bitts.
KNIGHTHOOD. An institution by princes, either for the defence of religion, or as marks of honour on officers who have distinguished themselves by their valour and address. This dignity being personal, dies with the individual so honoured. The initials of our own orders are:—K. G.
, Knight of the Garter; K. T. , Knight of the Thistle; K. S. P.
, Knight of St. Patrick; G. C. B. , Grand Cross of the Bath; K.
C. B. , Knight Commander of the Bath; G. C. H.
, Knight Grand Cross of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order; K. H. , Knight of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order; G. C. M.
G. , Grand Cross of St. Michael and George; E. S. I.
, Most Exalted Star of India. The principal foreign orders worn by our navy are those of Hanover, St. Ferdinand and Merit, the Tower and Sword, Legion of Honour, Maria Theresa, St. Bento d'Avis, Cross of Charles III. , San Fernando, St.
Louis, St. Vladimir, St. Anne of Russia, Red Eagle of Prussia, Redeemer of Greece, Medjidie of Turkey, Leopold of Austria, Iron Crown of Austria, William of the Netherlands.
KNIGHTS. Two short thick pieces of wood, formerly carved like a man's head, having four sheaves in each, one of them abaft the fore-mast, called fore-knight, and the other abaft the main-mast, called main-knight.
KNITTLE. See Nettles.
KNOB, or Knobbe. An officer; perhaps from the Scotch term knabbie, the lower class of gentry.
KNOCKER. A peculiar and fetid species of West Indian cockroach, so called on account of the knocking noise they make in the night.
KNOCK OFF WORK and Carry Deals. A term used to deride the idea of any work, however light, being relaxation; just as giving up taking in heavy beams of timber and being set to carry deals, is not really knocking off work.
KNOLL. The top of a rounded hill; the head of a bank, or the most elevated part of a submarine shoal. [Perhaps derived from nowl, a provincialism for head.]
KNOPP. See Knap.
KNOT. A large knob formed on the extremity of a rope, generally by untwisting its ends, and interweaving them regularly among each other; of these there are several sorts, differing in form, size, and name, as[426] diamond knot, kop knot, overhand knot, reef knot, shroud knot, stopper knot, single wall knot, double wall knot. The bowline knot is so firmly made, and fastened to the cringles of the sails, that they must break, or the sails split, before it will slip. (See Running Bowline. ) The sheepshank knot serves to shorten a rope without cutting it, and may be presently loosened.
The wall-knot is so made with the lays of a rope that it cannot slip, and serves for sheets, tacks, and stoppers. Knots are generally used to act as a button, in preventing the end of a rope from slipping through the hole of a dead-eye, or through the turns of a laniard, by which they are sometimes made fast to other ropes. —Knot also implies a division on the log line, bearing a similar proportion to a mile, which half a minute does to an hour; that is, it is 1⁄120 of a mile; hence we say, the ship was going 8 knots, signifying 8 miles per hour. Indeed, in nautical parlance, the words knot and mile are synonyms, alluding to the geographical mile of 60′ to a degree of latitude.
KNOWL. A term commonly given to the summits of elevated lands in the west of England, therefore probably the same as knoll.
KNOWLEDGE. In admiralty law, opposed to ignorance, and the want of which is liable to heavy penalty.
KNUCKLE. A sudden angle made on some timbers by a quick reverse of shape, such as the knuckles of the counter-timbers.
KNUCKLE-RAILS. Those mouldings which are placed at the knuckles of the stern-timbers.
KNUCKLE-TIMBERS. The top-timbers in the fore-body, the heads of which stand perpendicular, and form an angle with the flare or hollow of the top-side.
KNUCKLE-UNDER. Obey your superior's order; give way to circumstances.
KNURRT. Stunted; not freely grown.
KOFF. A large Dutch coasting trader, fitted with two masts, and sails set with sprits.
KOMETA. A captain formerly elected in the Spanish navy by twelve experienced navigators.
KOOLIE, or Coolie. An Indian day-labourer and porter.
KOOND. A large cistern at a watering-place in India.
KOPEK. A Russian copper coin, 100 of which make a rouble; in value nearly a halfpenny, and named from kopea, a spear, because formerly stamped with St. George spearing the dragon.
KOROCORA. A broad-beamed Molucca vessel, with high stem and stern, and an out-rigger. It is common among the Malay islands.
KOTA. An excellent turpentine procured in India.
KOUPANG. A gold coin of Japan and the Moluccas, of various value, from 25 to 44 shillings.
KOWDIE. The New Zealand pine spars.
KRABLA. A Russian vessel, usually from Archangel, fitted for killing the whale, walrus, and other Arctic quarry.[427]
KRAKEN. The fictitious sea-monster of Norway.
KRANG. The body of a whale when divested of its blubber, and therefore abandoned by the whalers.
KRAYER. A small vessel, but perhaps larger than the cogge, being thus mentioned in the Morte Arthure—
KREE, To. A north-country word: to beat, or bruise.
KREEL. A framework of timber for the catching of fish, especially salmon. Also a crab-pot, made of osiers, on the principal of a wire mouse-trap. Also, a sportsman's fishing basket.
KRENNEL. The smaller cringle for bowline bridles, &c.
KRINGLE, To. To dry and shrivel up. Also a form of cringle (which see).
KRIS. The formidable dagger used by the Malays.
KROO-MEN, or Crew-men. Fishmen. A tribe of African negroes inhabiting Cape Palmas, Krou-settra, and Settra-krou, subjects of Great Britain, and cannot be made slaves; they are specially employed in wooding and watering where hazardous to European constitutions.
KUB-HOUSE, or Cubboos. See Caboose.
KYAR. Cordage made in India from the fibres which envelope the cocoa nut, and having the advantage of elasticity and buoyancy, makes capital cables for country ships. (See Coir.)
KYDLE. A dam in a river for taking fish—
KYLE. A bay, or arm of the sea, on our northern shores, as the Kyles of Bute, &c.
KYNTALL. An old form of quintal (which see).