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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
PUMP-TACKS. Small iron or copper tacks, used for nailing the leather on the pump-boxes.
PUNCH. An iron implement for starting bolts in a little, or for driving them out, called a starting or teeming punch. Also, a well-known sea-drink, now adopted in all countries. It was introduced from the East Indies, and is said to derive its name from panch, the Hindostanee word for five, in allusion to the number of its ingredients. (See Bouleponges.)
PUNISHMENT. The execution of the sentence against an offender, as awarded by a court-martial, or adjudged by a superior officer.
PUNISHMENT DRILL. Fatiguing exercise or extra drill for petty delinquencies.
PUNK. The interior of an excrescence on the oak-tree; used as tinder, and better known as touch-wood. (See Spunk.)
PUNT. An Anglo-Saxon term still in use for a flat-bottomed boat, used by fishermen, or for ballast lumps, &c.
PUOYS. Spiked poles used in propelling barges or keels.
PURCHASE. Any mechanical power which increases the force applied. It is of large importance to nautical men in the combinations of pulleys, as whip, gun-tackle, luff-tackle, jeer, viol, luff upon luff, runner, double-runner, capstan, windlass, [550]&c.
PURCHASE A COMMISSION, To. A practice in our army, which has been aptly termed the "buying of fetters;" it is the obtaining preferment at regulated prices. At present the total value of a commission in a regiment of infantry of the line ranges from £450 for an ensigncy, up to £4540 for a lieutenant-colonelcy, and higher in the other branches of the service.
PURCHASE-BLOCKS. All blocks virtually deserve this name, but it is distinctively given to those used in moving heavy weights.
PURCHASE-FALLS. The rope rove through purchase-blocks.
PURRE. A name for the dunlin, Tringa alpina, a species of sand-piper frequenting our shores and the banks of rivers in winter.
PURSE-NET. A peculiar landing-net in fishing. It is used in the seine and trawl to bewilder the fish, and prevent their swimming out when fairly inside; like a wire mouse-trap.
PURSER. An officer appointed by the lords of the admiralty to take charge of the provisions and slops of a ship of war, and to see that they were carefully distributed to the officers and crew, according to the printed naval instruction. He had very little to do with money matters beyond paying for short allowance. He was allowed one-eighth for waste on all provisions embarked, and additional on all provisions saved; for which he paid the crew. The designation is now discarded for that of paymaster.
PURSER'S DIP. The smallest dip-candle.
PURSER'S GRINS. Sneers.
PURSER'S NAME. An assumed one. During the war, when pressed men caught at every opportunity to desert, they adopted aliases to avoid discovery if retaken, which alias was handed to the purser for entry upon the ship's books.
PURSER'S POUND. The weight formerly used in the navy, by which the purser retained an eighth for waste, and the men received only seven-eighths of what was supplied by government. One of the complaints of the mutiny was, having the purser's instead of an honest pound. This allowance was reduced to one-tenth.
PURSER'S SHIRT. "Like a purser's shirt on a handspike;" a comparison for clothes fitting loosely.
PURSER'S STEWARD. The official who superintended and noted down the exact quantity and species of provisions issued to the respective messes both of officers and men.
PURSER'S STOCKING. A slop article, which stretched to any amount put into it. (See Show a Leg.)
PURSUE, To. To make all sail in chase.
PUSH, To. To move a vessel by poles.
PUSHING FOR A PORT. Carrying all sail to arrive quickly.
PUT ABOUT. Go on the other tack.
PUT BACK, To. To return to port—generally the last left.
PUTHAG. A name on the Scottish shores for the porpoise; it is a Gaelic word signifying the blower.[551]
PUT INTO PORT, To. To enter an intermediate or any port in the course of a voyage, usually from stress of weather.
PUT OFF! or Push off. The order to boats to quit the ship or the shore.
PUTTING A SHIP IN COMMISSION. The formal ceremony of hoisting the pennant on the ship to be fitted. This act brought the crew under martial law.
PUTTING A STEAM-ENGINE IN GEAR. This is said when the gab of the eccentric rod is allowed to fall upon its stud on the gab-lever.
PUTTOCK. A cormorant; a ravenous fellow.
PUTTOCK-SHROUDS. Synonymous with futtock; a word in use, but not warranted.
PUT TO SEA, To. To quit a port or roadstead, and proceed to the destination.
PYKAR. A herring-boat, or small vessel, treated of in statute 31 Edward III. c. 2.
PYKE, To. A old word signifying to haul on a wind.
PYKE-MAW. The great tern, Larus ridibundus; a species of sea-gull.
PYKE OFF, To. To go away silently.
PYPERI. A sort of vessel made of several pieces of wood merely lashed together; hardly superior to a raft, but sharp forward to cut the water.
PYRAMID. A solid, the base of which is any right-lined plane figure, and its sides are triangles, having their vertices meeting in one point, named its vertex.
PYROTECHNY. The science of artificial fire-works, including not only such as are used in war, but also those intended for amusement.
P., Part 9
PUMP-TACKS. Small iron or copper tacks, used for nailing the leather on the pump-boxes.
PUNCH. An iron implement for starting bolts in a little, or for driving them out, called a starting or teeming punch. Also, a well-known sea-drink, now adopted in all countries. It was introduced from the East Indies, and is said to derive its name from panch, the Hindostanee word for five, in allusion to the number of its ingredients. (See Bouleponges.)
PUNISHMENT. The execution of the sentence against an offender, as awarded by a court-martial, or adjudged by a superior officer.
PUNISHMENT DRILL. Fatiguing exercise or extra drill for petty delinquencies.
PUNK. The interior of an excrescence on the oak-tree; used as tinder, and better known as touch-wood. (See Spunk.)
PUNT. An Anglo-Saxon term still in use for a flat-bottomed boat, used by fishermen, or for ballast lumps, &c.
PUOYS. Spiked poles used in propelling barges or keels.
PURCHASE. Any mechanical power which increases the force applied. It is of large importance to nautical men in the combinations of pulleys, as whip, gun-tackle, luff-tackle, jeer, viol, luff upon luff, runner, double-runner, capstan, windlass, [550]&c.
PURCHASE A COMMISSION, To. A practice in our army, which has been aptly termed the "buying of fetters;" it is the obtaining preferment at regulated prices. At present the total value of a commission in a regiment of infantry of the line ranges from £450 for an ensigncy, up to £4540 for a lieutenant-colonelcy, and higher in the other branches of the service.
PURCHASE-BLOCKS. All blocks virtually deserve this name, but it is distinctively given to those used in moving heavy weights.
PURCHASE-FALLS. The rope rove through purchase-blocks.
PURRE. A name for the dunlin, Tringa alpina, a species of sand-piper frequenting our shores and the banks of rivers in winter.
PURSE-NET. A peculiar landing-net in fishing. It is used in the seine and trawl to bewilder the fish, and prevent their swimming out when fairly inside; like a wire mouse-trap.
PURSER. An officer appointed by the lords of the admiralty to take charge of the provisions and slops of a ship of war, and to see that they were carefully distributed to the officers and crew, according to the printed naval instruction. He had very little to do with money matters beyond paying for short allowance. He was allowed one-eighth for waste on all provisions embarked, and additional on all provisions saved; for which he paid the crew. The designation is now discarded for that of paymaster.
PURSER'S DIP. The smallest dip-candle.
PURSER'S GRINS. Sneers.
PURSER'S NAME. An assumed one. During the war, when pressed men caught at every opportunity to desert, they adopted aliases to avoid discovery if retaken, which alias was handed to the purser for entry upon the ship's books.
PURSER'S POUND. The weight formerly used in the navy, by which the purser retained an eighth for waste, and the men received only seven-eighths of what was supplied by government. One of the complaints of the mutiny was, having the purser's instead of an honest pound. This allowance was reduced to one-tenth.
PURSER'S SHIRT. "Like a purser's shirt on a handspike;" a comparison for clothes fitting loosely.
PURSER'S STEWARD. The official who superintended and noted down the exact quantity and species of provisions issued to the respective messes both of officers and men.
PURSER'S STOCKING. A slop article, which stretched to any amount put into it. (See Show a Leg.)
PURSUE, To. To make all sail in chase.
PUSH, To. To move a vessel by poles.
PUSHING FOR A PORT. Carrying all sail to arrive quickly.
PUT ABOUT. Go on the other tack.
PUT BACK, To. To return to port—generally the last left.
PUTHAG. A name on the Scottish shores for the porpoise; it is a Gaelic word signifying the blower.[551]
PUT INTO PORT, To. To enter an intermediate or any port in the course of a voyage, usually from stress of weather.
PUT OFF! or Push off. The order to boats to quit the ship or the shore.
PUTTING A SHIP IN COMMISSION. The formal ceremony of hoisting the pennant on the ship to be fitted. This act brought the crew under martial law.
PUTTING A STEAM-ENGINE IN GEAR. This is said when the gab of the eccentric rod is allowed to fall upon its stud on the gab-lever.
PUTTOCK. A cormorant; a ravenous fellow.
PUTTOCK-SHROUDS. Synonymous with futtock; a word in use, but not warranted.
PUT TO SEA, To. To quit a port or roadstead, and proceed to the destination.
PYKAR. A herring-boat, or small vessel, treated of in statute 31 Edward III. c. 2.
PYKE, To. A old word signifying to haul on a wind.
PYKE-MAW. The great tern, Larus ridibundus; a species of sea-gull.
PYKE OFF, To. To go away silently.
PYPERI. A sort of vessel made of several pieces of wood merely lashed together; hardly superior to a raft, but sharp forward to cut the water.
PYRAMID. A solid, the base of which is any right-lined plane figure, and its sides are triangles, having their vertices meeting in one point, named its vertex.
PYROTECHNY. The science of artificial fire-works, including not only such as are used in war, but also those intended for amusement.