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Nautical Terms

Ahoy, mateys! This be a fair and true listing of words having to do with ships and sailing, 225 of them in all. These terms come mainly from the great age of sailing ships, the 16th to 18th centuries, and almost all hail from the two great seafaring peoples of the day, those being the brave English and the most hated Dutch. Be fairly warned: I, being a landlubber of the most scurvy sort, know little of such nautical matters aside from what my word-books tell me, so if there are any sea-dogs out there who would deign to correct me on matters of seaman's cant and jargon, ye should holler from atop the crow's nest of your vessels. Ahoy!

Word 	Definition
abaft 	toward or at the stern of a ship; further aft
affreightment 	hiring of a vessel
afterdeck 	deck behind a ship's bridge
afterguard 	men who work the aft sails on the quarterdeck and poop deck
ahull 	with sails furled and helm lashed to the lee-side
amidships 	midway between the bow and stern of a ship
astern 	at the stern of a ship
backstay 	stay extending from ship's mastheads to the side of the ship
ballaster 	one who supplies ships with ballast
bargemaster 	owner of a barge
bee 	hardwood on either side of bowsprit through which forestays are reeved
belay 	to secure a rope by winding on a pin or cleat
bilge 	lower point of inner hull of a ship
binnacle 	case in which a ship's compass is kept
bitts 	posts mounted on a ship for fastening ropes
bluepeter 	blue flag with white square in centre used as ship's signal
boatswain 	ship's crewmember in charge of equipment and maintenance
bobstay 	rope used on ships to steady the bowsprit
bollard 	short post on a wharf or ship to which ropes are tied
boltrope 	strong rope stitched to edges of a sail
bosun 	boatswain
bottomry 	using the ship as collateral to finance a sea voyage
bow 	front of a ship
bower 	anchor carried at bow of a ship
bowline 	rope used to keep weather edge of a sail taut
bowsprit 	spar that extends at bows of a ship
brails 	ropes on edge of sail for hauling up
bream 	to clean a ship's bottom by burning off seaweed
bulwark 	the side of a ship above the deck
bumpkin 	spar projecting from stern of ship
bunt 	middle of sail, fish-net or cloth when slack
buntline 	rope attached to middle of square sail to haul it up to the yard
burgee 	small ship's flag used for identification or signalling
cable 	heavy rope or chain for mooring a ship
cabotage 	shipping and sailing between points in the same country
camber 	slight arch or convexity to a beam or deck of a ship
capstan 	upright device for winding in heavy ropes or cables
careen 	to turn a ship on its side in order to clean or repair it
cathead 	projection near the bow of a ship to which anchor is secured
chine 	the intersection of the middle and sides of a boat
chock 	metal casting with curved arms for passing ropes for mooring ship
clew 	corner of sail with hole to attach ropes
coaming 	raised edge around ship's hatches to keep water out
cocket 	official shipping seal; customs clearance form
cofferdam 	narrow vacant space between two bulkheads of a ship
cog 	single-masted, square-sailed ship with raised stern
companionway 	stairs from upper deck of ship to lower deck
cordage 	ropes in the rigging of a ship
cringle 	loop at corner of sail to which a line is attached
crosstrees 	horizontal crosspieces at a masthead used to support ship's mast
davit 	device for hoisting and lowering a boat
deadeye 	rounded wooden block with hole used to set up ship's stays
deadwood 	timbers built into ends of ship when too narrow to permit framing
demurrage 	delay of vessel's departure or loading with cargo
dodger 	shield against rain or spray on a ship's bridge
dogwatch 	a short, evening period of watch duty on a ship
downhaul 	rope for holding down or hauling down a sail or spar
dromond 	large single-sailed ship powered by rowers
dyogram 	ship's chart indicating compass deflection due to ship's iron
earing 	line for fastening corner of a sail to the gaff or yard
ensign 	large naval flag
escutcheon 	part of ship's stern where name is displayed
fairlead 	ring through which rope is led to change its direction without friction
fardage 	wood placed in bottom of ship to keep cargo dry
fiddley 	iron framework around hatchway opening
figurehead 	ornament or (usually female) bust attached to the bow of a ship
flagstaff 	flag pole at stern of a ship
fluke 	part of an anchor that fastens in the ground
forebitt 	post for fastening cables at a ship's foremast
forecabin 	cabin in fore part of ship
forecastle 	short raised deck at fore end of ship; fore of ship under main deck
forefoot 	foremost end of ship's keel
foremast 	mast nearest the bow of a ship
foresail 	lowest sail set on the foremast of square-rigged ship
forestay 	stay leading from the foremast to the bow of a ship
frap 	to draw a sail tight with ropes or cables
freeboard 	distance between waterline and main deck of a ship
futtock 	rib of a ship
gaff 	spar on which head of fore-and-aft sail is extended
gaff-topsail 	triangular topsail with its foot extended upon the gaff
gangway 	either of the sides of the upper deck of a ship
garboard 	plank on a ship’s bottom next to the keel
genoa 	large jib that overlaps the mainsail
grapnel 	small anchor used for dragging or grappling
groundage 	a charge on a ship in port
gudgeon 	metal socket into which the pintle of a boat's rudder fits
gunnage 	number of guns carried on a warship
gunwale 	upper edge of the side of a ship
gybe 	to swing a sail from one side to another
halyard 	rope or tackle for hoisting and lowering sails
hank 	series of rings or clips for attaching a jib or staysail to a stay
hawse 	distance between ship's bow and its anchor
hawsehole 	hole for ship's cable
hawser 	large rope for mooring or towing a ship
headsail 	sail set forward of the foremast of a ship
helm 	ship's steering wheel
holystone 	sandstone material used to scrape ships' decks
inboard 	inside the line of a ship's bulwarks or hull
jack 	ship's flag flown from jack-staff at bow of vessel
jack-block 	pulley system for raising topgallant masts
jack-cross-tree 	single iron cross-tree at head of a topgallant mast
jackstaff 	short staff at ship's bow from which the jack is hoisted
jackstay 	iron or wooden bar running along yard of ship to which sails fastened
jackyard 	spar used to spread the foot of a gaff-topsail
jib 	small triangular sail extending from the head of the foremast
jibboom 	spar forming an extension of the bowsprit
jibe 	to change a ship's course to make the boom shift sides
jurymast 	mast erected on ship in place of one lost
kedge 	small anchor to keep a ship steady
keelhaul 	to punish by dragging under keel of ship
keelson 	lengthwise wooden or steel beam in ship for bearing stress
kentledge 	pig-iron used as ballast in ship's hold
lagan 	cargo jettisoned from ship but marked by buoys for recovery
lanyard 	rope or line for fastening something in a ship
larboard 	left side of a ship
lastage 	room for stowing goods in a ship
lateen 	triangular sail rigged on ship's spar
laveer 	to sail against the wind
lazaret 	space in ship between decks used for storage
leeboard 	wood or metal planes attached to hull to prevent leeway
leech 	a vertical edge of a square sail
loxodograph 	device used to record ship's travels
luff 	windward side of a ship; forward edge of fore-and-aft sail
lugsail 	four-sided sail bent to an obliquely hanging yard
lutchet 	fitting on ship's deck to allow mast to pivot to pass under bridges
mainmast 	sailing ship's principal mast
mainsail 	principal sail on a ship's mainmast
mainsheet 	rope by which mainsail is trimmed and secured
mainstay 	stay that extends from the main-top to the foot of the foremast
manrope 	rope used as a handrail on a ship
martingale 	lower stay of rope used to sustain strain of the forestays
mizzen 	three-masted vessel; aft sail of such a vessel
mizzenmast 	mast aft or next aft of the mainmast in a ship
moonraker 	topmost sail of a ship, above the skyscraper
oakum 	old ropes untwisted for caulking the seams of ships
orlop 	lowest deck in a ship having four or more decks
outhaul 	rope used to haul a sail taut along a spar
outrigger 	spar extended from side of ship to help secure mast
painter 	rope attached to bow of a boat to attach it to a ship or a post
pallograph 	instrument measuring ship's vibration
parrel 	band by which a yard is fastened to a mast
patroon 	captain of a ship; coxswain of a longboat
poop 	enclosed structure at stern of ship above main deck
port 	when facing forward, the left side of a ship
primage 	fee paid to loaders for loading ship
purser 	ship's officer in charge of finances and passengers
quarterdeck 	part of ship's deck set aside by captain for ceremonial functions
quartering 	sailing nearly before the wind
rake 	the inclination of a mast or another part of a ship
ratline 	small rope forming a rung of a rope ladder on a ship
reef 	to reduce area of a sail by rolling or folding part of it
reeve 	to pass a rope through a ring
roach 	curved cut in edge of sail for preventing chafing
roband 	piece of yarn used to fasten a sail to a spar
rostrum 	spike on prow of warship for ramming
rowlock 	contrivance serving as a fulcrum for an oar
royal 	small sail on royal mast just above topgallant sail
scud 	to sail swiftly before a gale
scupper 	hole allowing water to drain from ship’s deck
scuttlebutt 	cask of drinking water aboard a ship; rumour, idle gossip
scuttles 	portholes on a ship
sheer 	fore-and-aft curvature of a ship from bow to stern
shrouds 	ropes supporting the mast of a ship
sidelight 	coloured lights on side of a ship under way at night
skeg 	part of ship connecting the keel with the bottom of the rudderpost
skysail 	sail above the royal sail
skyscraper 	triangular sail on a ship above the royal
slipway 	ramp sloping into water for supporting a ship
snotty 	naval midshipman
spanker 	sail on the mast nearest the stern of a square-rigged ship
spar 	any ship's mast, boom, yard, or gaff
spinnaker 	large triangular sail opposite the mainsail
spirketting 	inside planking between ports and waterways of a ship
sponson 	platform jutting from ship’s deck for gun or wheel
sprit 	spar crossing a fore-and-aft sail diagonally
spritsail 	sail extended by a sprit
starboard 	when facing forward, the right side of a ship
starbolins 	sailors of the starboard watch
stay 	large rope used to support a mast
staysail 	fore-and-aft sail hoisted on a stay
steeve 	to set a ship's bowsprit at an upward inclination
stemson 	supporting timber of a ship
stern 	back part of a ship
sternpost 	main member at stern of a ship extending from keel to deck
sternway 	movement of a ship backwards
stevedore 	dock worker who loads and unloads ships
stokehold 	ship’s furnace chamber
strake 	continuous band of plates on side of a ship
stunsail 	light auxiliary sail to the side of principal sails
supercargo 	ship's official in charge of business affairs
taffrail 	rail round the stern of a ship
thole 	pin in the side of a boat to keep oar in place
tiller 	handle or lever for turning a ship's rudder
timberhead 	top end of ship's timber used above the gunwale
timenoguy 	rope stretched from place to place in a ship
topgallant 	mast or sail above the topmast and below the royal mast
topmast 	ship's mast above the lower mast
topsail 	ship's sail above the lowermost sail
tranship 	to transfer from one ship to another
transire 	ship's customs warrant for clearing goods
transom 	transverse timbers attached to ship's sternpost
treenail 	long wooden pin used to fix planks of ship to the timbers
trice 	to haul in and lash secure a sail with a small rope
trunnel 	wooden shipbuilding peg used for fastening timbers
trysail 	ship's sail bent to a gaff and hoisted on a lower mast
tuck 	part of ship where ends of lower planks meet under the stern
turtleback 	structure over ship’s bows or stern
unreeve 	to withdraw a rope from an opening
walty 	inclined to tip over or lean
wardroom 	quarters for ship's officers
washboard 	broad thin plank along ship's gunwale to keep out sea water
watching 	fully afloat
waveson 	goods floating on the sea after a shipwreck
wear 	to turn a ship's stern to windward to alter its course
weatherboard 	weather side of a ship
weatherly 	able to sail close to the wind with little leeway
wheelhouse 	shelter where ship’s steering wheel kept
whipstaff 	vertical lever controlling ship’s rudder
windbound 	hindered from sailing by contrary winds
windlass 	winch used to raise a ship's anchor
xebec 	small three-masted pirate ship
yard 	tapering spar attached to ship's mast to spread the head of a square sail
yardarm 	either end of the yard of a square-rigged ship
yawl 	ship’s small boat; sailboat carrying mainsail and one or more jibs
zabra 	small Spanish sailing vessel