The best source for the definition of nautical terms is the Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. For those into the Napoleonic age, find A Sea of Words: A Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O'Brian's Seafaring Tales.

The following glossary covers the simpler expressions. It was written for young adult readers, so the explanations may be a bit too basic for adults interested in the era. Please email me at ron@wanttaja.com with any corrections or suggestions.
 

Abaft
 Behind, or toward the stern.
Aft
Towards stern of ship.
Backstay
Standing rigging from the mast to the deck behind the mast.
Becket
A short piece of rope intended to hold something.
Before the mast
The area aft of the mainmast was the quarterdeck; ordinary seamen could enter the quarterdeck in performance of duty. Hence, to serve "Before the mast" means service as an ordinary sailor.
Belay
To hold fast.
Binnacle
Cabinent on deck near the wheel that holds the compass.
Bitts
Deck timbers used to belay large ropes.
Block
A pulley enclosed in a wooden shell. The shell keeps the rope from flipping off the pulley.
Bobstay
Standing rigging from bowsprit to very point of stem, underneath bowsprit.
Bow
Front of ship.
Bowsprit
Spar in bow of ship pointing forwards, carries the jib, and flying jib. Also carries the spritsail.
Brig
 A two-masted vessel with both masts square-rigged.
Captain
The person in charge of the ship, or in fact, in charge of any particular function: Captain of the waist, gun captain, etc. Also a naval rank; however, the term is also used to refer to a ship's commander regardless of his actual rank. The ship's Captain might hold only the rank of Lieutenant.
Carrying Plank
Stretcher for moving wounded men down hatches.
Cathead
timbers jutting from the side of the ship above the hausehole. Used to help support the anchor.
Chains
Metal straps or chains bolted to the ship's side to which the standing rigging to support masts is attached.
Chain-Wale
Flat plates jutting out from ships's side to give the chains more leverage. Usually just referred to as the 'chains'.
Cockbill, cockabill
 Not level, crooked.
Companionway
Covered stairway between decks.
Course
Lowest and largest sail on each mast. Called "Fore Course" or "Main Course," depending upon the mast the sail is on.
Crosstrees
Attach point for topmast and t'gallantmast.
Deadlights
Wooden covers for openings.
Deckhead
What landsmen call the ceiling. To really throw you off, the "ceiling" in a ship is the planks on the inside of the hull.
Deck
Floor, also describes the "levels" of the ship's hull. A typical frigate's decks are (from the uppermost): Spar or weather deck, gun deck, berth deck, orlop, and the hold, which is the very bottom of the ship. Other "decks" were named by convention, such as the "quarterdeck."
Dogvane
A small banner to show the relative direction of the wind.
Dolphin Striker
V-shaped boom pointing downwards at intersection of bowsprit and jib boom.
Dunnage
Belongings.
Faked
Arranged in an organized fashion, sometimes with artistic touches.
Foc'sle
Forecastle; forward part of ship. Originally "Fore Castle."
Footrope
Rope under the yards that sailor stand on while making sail.
Fore-
Prefix refering a component of the foremast... foretop, forechains, fore backstay, etc.
Fore
Forward.
For'ard
Forward
Foul
To tangle
Foul winds
Wind directions not suited for the direction the ship is trying to go, i.e., very slow traveling
Freshening
Wind getting stronger
Futtock Shrouds
Shrouds underneath the top (see) from the mast to the top rim, or edge.
Give way
Start, move, etc.
Gunlayers
Men with handspikes used to physically move guns for aiming.
Gunroom
Warrant officers and Midshipmen living quarters.
Gunwhale, gunn'l
Top surface of a hull or boat, above the side members above the deck.
Handsomely
Carefully, slowly.
Head
Very front of ship; the bow. The sanitary facilities were located at the head, hence the nautical nickname for toilets.
Jib Boom
Spar attached to bowsprit, pointing forwards.
Jib Sails
Sails carried on stays between bowsprit/jib and foremast.
Knightheads
Timbers that support bowspirit.
Ladder
Stairs.
Larboard
Left. The term "Port" was used for helm commands to eliminate confusion with the similar-sounding "starboard." Eventually, the term "larboard" was completely eliminated.
Lazarette
Storage locker.
Leeward, lee'ard
To the side away from the wind.
Lee, make a
Use the ship as a windbreak to produce calm area downwind of ship.
Lieutenant
A commissioned rank. In the Navy, the term "First Lieutenant," "Second Lieutenant," etc, refer to their position aboard ship, and is not an official rank. However, these positions were assigned on the basis of seniority; the highest ranking lieutenant became the First Lieutenant, etc.
Linstock
Rod with slow match to fire guns without flintlocks.
Loblolly Boy
Sickbay attendant, assisted doctor during surgery.
Lubber's hole
Hole in the tops to provide access from below.
Mainmast
Centermost, and generally highest, mast.
Main-
Prefix refering a component of the mainmast... maintop, mainchains, main backstay, etc.
Master
Officer charged with physically sailing the ship.
Master's Mates
Warrant officers assisting the master.
Masts
Vertical spars that carry the yards. From the bow, they are the Foremast, Mainmast, and Mizzenmast. Each was composed of a lower mast, a topmast, and a t'gallant mast.
Mess
Men grouped for feeding purposes. The "Officer's Mess" was the wardroom. Groups of eight or so seamen were grouped as a "mess," and one designated the "mess cook." At mealtimes, the mess cook would fetch the food for his mess.
Midshipman
The lowest rank of officer aboard ship. Service as midshipman for a number of years was required before applying for a commission.
Mizzenmast
Aftmost mast, often the smallest of the three.
Mizzen-
Prefix refering a component of the mizzenmast... mizzenchains, mizzen backstay, etc.
Petty Officers
Non-commissioned officers.
Port
Left, used for helm commands only. See Larboard.
Press
To forcibly recruit. The Royal Navy made up shortages of seamen by pressing experienced hands from the merchant service. Technically, they were only allowed to press Englishmen with sea experience; in practice, desperate British captains settled for any able-bodied men.
Press gang
A group of sailors, led by a commissioned or warrant officer, sent to scour port towns for seamen.
Prize money
Captured ships were sold at auction, and the money divided among the officers and crew of the victorious ships.
Prize
Captured enemy ship.
Quarterdeck
Area aft of the mainmast on the main deck. See "Before the Mast."
Ratlines
Horizontal ropes between shouds to allow rapid climbing.
Rattan: Short bamboo cane.
Reef Points
Light line on a sail to assist in reefing. Several rows, allow single, double, or treble reefing.
Reef tackle
Blocks and ropes used to reef sails.
Reefer
Midshipman. Their duty at sail-making station was supervising on the yards.
Reef
To partially furl a sail. Done in strong winds to reduce strain.
Rigging
General term for ropes leading aloft for support or control.
Rope Yarn Sunday
A day off.
Rope Yarn
A thread of hemp, which twisted together with others forms a rope.
Rouse
Get out or get up.
Royal mast
Topmost mast.
Royals
Topmost sails.
Running Rigging
Lines that controlled yards and sails.
Scuttles
Openings, for instance, to let air and light into lower decks.
Scuttle-Butt
Water barrel. Since the water barrel was a meeting place, the term was also used for gossip exchanged there.
Ship
Generally refered to a three-masted vessel. Also, to attach or erect.
Shrouds
Rigging that prevents masts from moving from side to side.
Side tackle
Blocks and ropes on either side of gun to help swivel it from side to side.
Sloop
Single-masted ship
Slush
Greasy residue from boiling salt beef or salt pork. Used as lubricant.
Spanker
Lowest sail on mizzenmast; rigged somewhat fore and aft (between boom and gaff), rather than the general crossways arrangement of the rest of the sails.
Spar
General term for masts and yards, or any long wooden member such as bowsprit.
Spritsail yard
Yard attached to bowsprit.
Standing rigging
Rigging which mechanically supports the masts.
Starboard
Right.
Stays
Standing rigging that prevents fore-and-aft movement of the masts.
Staysails (Stays'ls)
Extra sails fitted to the stays without the addition of a yard.
Stem
Forward part of hull.
Stern
Rear of ship.
Strike
To lower.
Strike the Colors
To lower the flag, to surrender. "Nailing the colors to the mast" would prevent this, of course.
Studding Sails (Stuns'ls)
Extra sails added at the far end of the yards, on the studdingsail boom.
Studdingsail Boom
Extra length of yard attached at the end of a yard.
Sway
To hoist up or down using ropes and slings.
Swivel Gun
Small cannon attached to rail via a swivel mounting.
Tackle
Blocks and ropes used for various purposes, such as "reef tackle."
Tallow dip
Candle that burns grease.
Taffrail
Rail on the spar deck around the stern.
Topgallants or T'gallants
Third sail from deck. Also T'Gallant Mast, above topmast
Tops'l
Topsails... second sail from the deck.
Tops
Platform between the lower mast and topmast. The two mast sections are joined here.
Touchholes
Holes in gun where spark or flame can reach powder to fire the gun.
Twenty-Four Pounder
Cannon which fired an iron ball of approximately 24 lbs. The gun itself weighed about 4,000 lbs.
Wardoom
Officer's mess.
Warp
To move the ship by other than sails.
Warrant Officers
Officers who do not hold official commissions. They are given "warrants" by the Captain or local Naval admistration to define their authority. Examples are midshipmen and master's mates.
Winds back
Wind direction changes counterclockwise.
Winds veer
Wind direction changes clockwise.
"Southerly" wind
Slang term for "empty"
Yard
Horizontal wooden boom to which sail is firmly attached.
Yard Arm
Very end of a yard.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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