The Sailor's Word-Book Part 8

ALVEUS. A very small ancient boat, made from the single trunk of a tree.

A monoxylon, or canoe.

A.M. The uncials for _ante-meridian_, or in the forenoon. (_See_ MERIDIAN.)

AMAIN [Saxon _a_, and _maegn_, force, strength]. This was the old word to an enemy for "yield," and was written _amayne_ and _almayne_. Its literal signification is, with force or vigour, all at once, suddenly; and it is generally used to anything which is moved by a tackle-fall, as "lower amain!" let run at once. When we used to demand the salute in the narrow seas, the lowering of the top-sail was called _striking amain_ (_see_ STRIKE), and it was demanded by the _wave amain_ (_see_ WAVING), or brandishing a bright sword to and fro.

AMALPHITAN CODE, the oldest code of modern sea-laws, compiled, during the first Crusade, by the people of Amalfi in Italy, who then possessed considerable commerce and maritime power.

AMAYE. Sea-marks on the French coast.

AMBa.s.sADOR. A practical joke performed on board ship in warm climates, in which the dupes are unmercifully ducked in the wash-deck tub:--

"And he was wash'd, who ne'er was wash'd before."

AMBER. A hard resinous substance of vegetable origin, generally of a bright yellow colour, and translucent. It is chiefly obtained from the southern sh.o.r.es of the Baltic, and those of Sicily, where it is thrown up by the sea, but it also occurs in beds of lignite.

AMBERGRIS. A fragrant drug found floating on sea-coasts, the origin and production of which was long a matter of dispute, although now known to be a morbid product developed in the intestines of the spermaceti whale (_Physeter macrocephalus_). It is of a grayish colour, very light, easily fusible, and is used both as a perfume and a cordial, in various extracts, essences, and tinctures.

AMBIENT [from _ambio_, Lat., to go round]. Surrounding, or investing; whence the atmosphere is designated ambient, because it encompa.s.ses the earth.

AMBIGENAL. One of the triple hyperboles of the second order.

AMBIT of a geometrical figure is the perimeter, or the line, or sum or all the lines, by which it is bounded.

AMBITION is usually denominated a virtue or a vice according to its direction; but a.s.suredly more of the former, as it is a grand stimulus to officers to avoid reproach, and aspire to eminence and honour.

AMBLYGON. Obtuse angular.

AMBRY. _See_ AUMBREY.

AMBUSCADE [Span. _emboscada_]. A body of men lying in wait to surprise an enemy, or cut off his supplies; also the site where they lurk. This, as well as _ambush_, obviously arose from woods having afforded hiding-places.

AMBUSH. Signifies an attempt to lie in concealment for the purpose of surprising the enemy without his perceiving the intention until he is attacked.

AMELIORATION. An allowance made to the neutral purchaser, on reclaiming a ship irregularly condemned, for repairs she has undergone in his service.

AMICABLE NUMBERS are such as are mutually equal to the sum of each other's aliquot parts.

AMIDSHIPS. The middle of the ship, whether in regard to her length between stem and stern, or in breadth between the two sides. To put the helm _amidships_ is to place it in a line with the keel. The term, however, has a more general bearing to the axis of the ship; as guns, or stores, or place amidships has reference to that line, fore and aft.

Externally the term "amidships" as to striking, boarding, &c., would be about the main-mast, or half the length of the ship. (_See_ MIDSHIPS.)

AMIDWARD. Towards the 'midship or middle section of the vessel.

AMLAGH. A Manx or Gaelic term denoting to manure with sea-weed.

AMLEE. A Manx or Gaelic term for sea-weed.

AMMUNITION. This word had an infinite variety of meanings. It includes every description of warlike stores, comprehending not only the ordnance, but the powder, b.a.l.l.s, bullets, cartridges, and equipments.--_Ammunition bread_, that which is for the supply of armies or garrisons.--_Ammunition chest_, a box placed abaft near the stern or in the tops of men-of-war, to contain ammunition, for the arms therein placed, in readiness for immediate action.--_Ammunition shoes_, those made for soldiers and sailors, and particularly for use by those frequenting the magazine, being soft and free from metal.--_Ammunition waggon_, a close cart for conveying military effects.--_Ammunition wife_, a name applied to women of doubtful character.

AMNESTY. An act of oblivion, by which, in a professional view, pardon is granted to those who have rebelled or deserted their colours; also to deserters who return to their ships.

AMOK. A term signifying slaughter, but denoting the practice of the Malays, when infuriated to madness with bang (a preparation from a species of hemp), of sallying into the streets, or decks, to murder any whom they may chance to meet, until they are either slain or fall from exhaustion.--_To run a-muck._ To run madly and attack all we meet (_Pope_, _Dryden_). As in the case of mad dogs, certain death awaited them, for if not killed in being taken, torture and impalement followed.

AMORAYLE. An archaism of _admiral_.

AMORCE [Fr.] A word sometimes used to signify priming-powder.

AMPERES. An ancient vessel, in which the rowers used an oar on each side at once.

AMPHIBIA. A cla.s.s of animals which, from a peculiar arrangement of breathing organs, can live either in water or on land. [Gr. _amphibios_, having a double manner of life.] Hence _amphibious_.

AMPHIPRORae. Ancient vessels, both ends of which were prow-shaped, so that in narrow channels they need not turn.

AMPHISCII. The inhabitants of the torrid zone are thus denominated from their shadow being turned one part of the year to the north and the other to the south.

AMPHOTEROPLON. _See_ HETEROPLON.

AMPLITUDE. As a general term, implies extent. In astronomy, it is an arc of the horizon intercepted between the true east or west points thereof, and the centre of the sun, star, or planet, at its rising or setting. In other words, it is the horizontal angular distance of a star from the east or west points. It is eastern or ortive when the heavenly object rises, and western or occiduous when it sets, and is moreover northern or southern according to its quarter of the horizon.--_Amplitude_, in gunnery, is the range or whole distance of a projectile, or the right horizontal line subtending the curvilineal path in which it moved.--_Amplitude_, in magnetism, is the difference between the rising and setting of the sun from the east and west points, as indicated by the mariner's or magnetic compa.s.s--which subtracted from the true amplitude, const.i.tutes the error of the compa.s.s, which is the combined effect of variation and local deviation.

AMPOTIS. The recess or ebb of the tide.

AMRELL. An archaic orthography for _admiral_.

AMULET. A small relic or sacred sentence, preservative against disaster and disease, appended to the neck by superst.i.tious people: few Italian or Spanish seamen are without them.

AMUSETTE. A kind of gun on a stock, like that of a musket, but mounted as a swivel, carrying a ball from half a pound to two pounds weight.

AMY. A foreigner serving on board, subject to some prince in friendship with us.

ANACLASTICS, OR ANACLATICS. The ancient doctrine of refracted light or dioptrics.--_Anaclastic curves_, the apparent curves formed at the bottom of a vessel full of water, or anything at great depths overboard to an eye placed in the air; also the heavenly vault as seen through the atmosphere.

ANADROMOUS. A term applied to migratory fishes, which have their stated times of ascending rivers from the sea, and returning again, as the salmon and others.

a.n.a.lEM. A mathematical instrument for finding the course and elevation of the sun.

a.n.a.lEMMA. A projection of the sphere on the plane of the meridian, taken in a lateral point of view, so that the colours become circles, whilst those whose planes pa.s.s through the eye become right lines, and the oblique circles ellipses. On globes it is represented by a narrow double-looped formed figure, the length of which is equal to the breadth of the torrid zone, and is divided into months and days, to show approximately the solar declination and the equation of time.

a.n.a.lOGY. Resemblance, relation, or equality; a similitude of ratios or proportions.

a.n.a.lYSIS. The resolution of anything into its const.i.tuent parts: mathematically, it is the method of resolving problems by reducing them to equations.--_a.n.a.lysis of curves_ is that which shows their properties, points of inflection, station, variation, &c.--_a.n.a.lysis of finite quant.i.ties_ is termed specious arithmetic or algebra.--_a.n.a.lysis of infinites_ is a modern introduction, and used for fluxions or the differential calculus.--_a.n.a.lysis of powers_ is the evolution or resolving them into their roots.--_a.n.a.lysis of metals_, fluids, solids, earths, manures, &c.

a.n.a.lYTIC. That which partakes of the property of a.n.a.lysis, and is reducible thereby.

ANAN. A word going out of use, uttered when an order was not understood, equal to "What do you say, sir?" It is also used by corruption for _anon_, immediately.

ANANAS. (_Bromelia_). Pine-apple.

ANAPHORA. A term sometimes applied to the oblique ascensions of the stars.