The Sailor's Word-Book Part 158

LUSORIae. Ancient vessels of observation or pleasure.

l.u.s.t. An archaism of _list_. (_See_ LIST.)

LUTE-STERN. Synonymous with _pink-stern_.

LUTINGS. The dough stoppages to the seams of the coppers, &c., when distilling sea water.

LYING. The situation of a whale when favourable for sticking--the "lie"

usually occurs after feeding.

LYING ALONG. _See_ LAYING ALONG.

LYING ON HIS OARS. Taking a rest; at ease.

LYING-TO. _See_ LIE-TO.

LYM. From the Celtic _leim_, a port; as Lyme and Lymington.

LYMPHAD. The heraldic term for an old-fashioned ship or galley.

LYNCH-LAW. A word recently imported into our parlance from America, signifying illegal and revengeful execution at the wish of a tumultuous mob.

LYRA. One of the ancient northern constellations. Also, a name of the gray gurnard, or _crooner_ (which see).

LYRIE. The name in the Firth of Forth for the _Cottus cataphractus_, or armed bull-head.

LYTER. The old orthography for _lighter_ (which see).

LYTHE. A name for the pollack, _Gadus pollachius_. Also, the coal-fish in its fourth year.

M.

MAASH. A large trading vessel of the Nile.

MACE. A war-club of old.

MACHICOULIS. A projecting gallery over gateways, or walls insufficiently flanked: being open at the bottom between its supporting corbels, it allows of defending the foot of the wall.

MACKEREL. The _s...o...b..r vulgaris_, a well-known sea-fish.

MACKEREL-BOAT. A stout clinch-worked vessel, with a large fore-sail, sprit-sail, and mizen.

MACKEREL-SKY. _See_ CIRRO-c.u.mULUS.

MACKEREL-STURE. A northern name for the tunny, _s...o...b..r thynnus_.

MACULae. Dark temporary spots which are very frequently observed upon the sun's disc: they are of various forms, surrounded by a lighter shade or penumbra.

MAD. The state of a compa.s.s needle, the polarity of which has been injured.

MADDY, OR MADDIE. A large species of mussel abundant among the rocks of the western islands of Scotland and Wales.

MADE. A professional term for having obtained a commission, or being promoted. Also, in some points synonymous with _built_. (_See_ MADE MASTS, &c.)

MADE-EYE. Synonymous with _Flemish eye_ (which see).

MADE MASTS. The large masts made in several pieces. A ship's lower mast is a made spar; her top-mast is a whole spar.--_Made block_ is one having its sh.e.l.l composed of different pieces.

MADRIERS. Long and broad planks, used for supporting the earth in mining. Also, an old term for sheathing.

MAGAZINE. A place built for the safe-keeping of ammunition; afloat it is confined to a close room, in the fore or after part, or both, of a ship's hold, as low down as possible; it is lighted occasionally by means of candles fixed in the light-room adjoining it, and no person is allowed to enter it with a lamp or candle. (_See_ LIGHT-ROOM.)

MAGELLANIC CLOUDS. A popular term for the two _Nubeculae_, or great cloudy-looking spots in the southern heavens, which are found to consist of a vast number of nebulae and cl.u.s.ters of stars.

MAGELLAN JACKET. A name given to a watch-coat with a hood, worn in high lat.i.tudes--first used by Cook's people.

MAGGED. Worn, fretted, and stretched rope, as a magged brace. Also, reproved.

MAGNET. _See_ COMPa.s.s.

MAGNETIC AMPLITUDE. The angle between the east or west point of a compa.s.s and any heavenly body at its rising or setting.

MAGNETIC AZIMUTH. An arc of the horizon intercepted between the azimuth circle of a celestial object and the magnetic meridian.

MAGNETIC COMPENSATOR. An iron plate fixed near the compa.s.s, to neutralize the effect of local attraction upon the needle.

MAGNETIC NEEDLE. Applied to theodolites, ships' compa.s.ses, &c. A balanced needle, highly magnetized, which points to the magnetic pole, when not influenced by the local attraction of neighbouring iron. The magnetism may be discharged by blows, or a fall; hence, after an action at sea, the needles are often found to be useless, until re-magnetized.

MAGNETIC STORM. An extraordinary magnetic action indicated by delicate magnetometers in a magnetic observatory, not perceptible on ordinary magnets.

MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH. An instrument for communicating messages by means of magnetism.

MAGNITUDE OF AN ECLIPSE. The proportion which the eclipsed part of the surface of the sun or moon bears to the diameter; it is sometimes expressed in digits, but more frequently as a decimal, the diameter being taken as unity.

MAGNITUDES OF STARS. The relative degrees of apparent size in which the fixed stars are arranged, and cla.s.sed according to the intensity of their light. The first six cla.s.ses, designated by Greek letters, include all those which are distinctly visible to the naked eye.

MAHONE, MAHONNA, OR MAON. A former Turkish flat-bottomed vessel of burden, mentioned among the ships of Soliman Pasha, in the siege of Diu.

MAID. A coast name of the skate.

MAIDEN. A fortress which has never been taken.

MAIL. A coat of armour. Also, a number of rings interwoven net-wise, and used for rubbing off the loose hemp from white cordage after it is made.