by Dean King
Sybille, H.M.S. A 44-gun fifth-RATE PRIZE taken from the French in 1794.
syce A stableman or groom, especially in India and also in parts of Africa and Asia; also, a mounted attendant to a horseman or carriage.
syllabub A drink, or dessert if gelatin is added, made of sweetened milk or cream mixed with wine or liquor.
syncope Fainting. Sometimes fatal if caused by a stroke.
T
tabby Silk taffeta, originally striped, later of uniform color with a moire finish.
tabes Wasting of a muscle mass, most commonly applied to the final stage of syphilis when the legs become paralyzed due to progressive loss of their nerves.
table d’hote In French, “host’s table”: a communal table for guests at a hotel or restaurant; a public meal served at a stated hour and at a fixed price.
tabling A broad hem at the edge of a sail to reinforce it.
tabor Small drum used to accompany a pipe or trumpet.
Tace is the Latin for a candle Tace actually means “be silent” in Latin, while a candle is a symbol of light. The meaning of this paradoxical phrase is “keep it in the dark” or “mum’s the word.”
tack The lower forward corner of a FORE-AND-AFT sail. On square sails, the lower WEATHER, or windward, corner of the sail and the rope holding down the weather corner of the sail. The course of a ship in relation to the direction of the wind and the position of her sails, as in “STARBOARD tack,” meaning with the wind coming across the starboard side. Also, to alter the course of a ship by turning her with her head to the wind and bringing the wind onto the other side of the ship. To BEAT to windward, or to work or navigate a ship against the wind by a series of tacks.
tackle Pronounced “taykle”: An arrangement consisting of one or more ropes and pulley-BLOCKs, used to increase the power exerted on a rope in raising or lowering heavy objects, such as guns, cargo, and SPARS, and in TRIMming sails. Pronounced “tackle”: The RIGGING of a ship, equipment, gear. Ground tackle comprises anchors, CABLES, and other equipment used to anchor or to moor a vessel.
tackle-fall The entire length of rope in a TACKLE. The end of the rope secured to the BLOCK is called the standing part, the opposite end is the HAULing part.
tack-room A room used for storing horse equipment.
taffrail The upper portion of the after-rail at a ship’s STERN, often ornately carved.
tag A brief and usually familiar quotation added for substance or special effect. A cliche, proverb, or other short, conventional idea used to embellish discourse.
tallboy A highboy, or tall chest of drawers usually raised on legs and in two parts, with the upper section smaller than the lower. Also, a chest of drawers on top of a dressing-table.
Talleyrand-Perigord, Charles Maurice de, Prince de Bénévent (1754—1838) French statesman who served as minister of foreign affairs from 1797 to 1807. Quarreled with Napoleon and opposed his Russian and Spanish policy. Helped restore Bourbons after Napoleon’s fall.
tally on or tail on To HAUL taut the SHEETS. Also, to catch hold of, or “clap” on to, a rope.
tamarisk A shrub or small tree of the genus Tamarix, native to Europe and Asia, with slender feathery branches, scalelike leaves, and clusters of pink flowers.
tangalung The civet of Sumatra and Java, Viverra tangalunga.
Tangiers An ancient seaport on the north coast of Morocco, strategically situated on the Atlantic at the western end of the Straits of GIBRALTAR. In 1661 it was part of the dowry of the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganqa when she married King Charles II of England. It was an English possession until 1684 and became a stronghold of the BARBARY pirates during the 18th century.
Tantalus In Greek mythology, a king who revealed the secrets of the gods and was condemned to Hades, where he was made to stand in water that receded as he stooped to drink and below branches of fruit that evaded his grasp.
Tantum religio potuit saudere malorum Religion can produce such evil (Latin; Lucretius, On the Nature of the Universe I).
tap A taproom, or bar.
tapir Any of several chiefly nocturnal ungulate mammals of tropical America or southern Asia of the genus Tapirus, related to the rhinoceros and the horse and having a heavy body, short legs, and a short flexible proboscis. Originally referred specifically to the species Tapirus americanus of Brazil.
Tapirus americanus See TAPIR.
tar A substance made from the resin of pine trees and used to preserve hemp rope, which otherwise would rot when wet, and to preserve a ship’s RIGGING; also, a nickname for a sailor from the fact that sailors’ canvas coats and hats were tarred against precipitation. An essential for maintaining ships, tar of the best quality came from Sweden, but its high cost drove suppliers to America, where the pine forests of North Carolina became an important source. See also STOCKHOLM TAR.
tarantass A four-wheeled Russian carriage with a flexible wooden chassis and no springs.
Taranto A city, a port, and a bay of the Ionian Sea, inside the arch of the “boot” along the coast of the Kingdom of Naples, what is now southeastern Italy.
tar-bark Bark of various species of pine, juniper, etc., from which tar is obtained by destructive distillation for topical application to various scaly skin conditions.
tar-box A box formerly used by shepherds to hold tar, which they used as a salve for sheep.
tardigrade Any of various minute arthropods of the class Tardigrada having four pairs of legs and living in water or damp moss; also called water-bears or bear-animalcules.
tarpaulin A sheet of canvas made waterproof by a coat of TAR and used to cover and protect things from wetness. Also, other types of waterproof cloth. A sailor’s hat made of tarpaulin. Also a nickname for a sailor.
tarsier Any of several small forest-dwelling nocturnal mammals found in the MALAY Archipelago, related to the LEMUR and having large, round eyes and a long tail.
tartan or tartana A small single-masted vessel, varying in size, with a large LATEEN sail and a FORESAIL, used in the western mediterranean for trading and fishing. See illustration.
A tartan near Europa Point, Gibraltar (from Serres’s Liber Nauticus)
Tartar A member of the Mongolian peoples who in the 13th century under Genghis Khan invaded much of central and western Asia and eastern Europe; a descendant of these people, now living in the region of Central Asia extending eastward from the Caspian Sea. Also, an irritable or violent person. To “catch a Tartar” is to grapple with an opponent who proves to be unexpectedly formidable.
Tartini, Giuseppe (1692-1770) An Italian violinist and composer, Tartini composed some 150 violin concertos and more than 200 sonatas and other instrumental works.
tar-water An infusion of tar in cold water, invented around 1740 by George Berkeley, Bishop of Cloyne, for medical use as a stimulating tonic. Maturin is the author of a highly regarded work called Tar-Water Reconsidered.
Tasmanian devil A burrowing carnivorous marsupial of Tasmania, Australia, about the size of a badger and with a predominantly black coat and a long, nearly hairless tail.
tat To make a delicate lace, called tatting, by looping and knotting a single cotton thread using a small, flat, spindle-shaped instrument.
Tattersall’s The famous London horse market founded by Richard Tattersall in the late 18th century.
tatty Shabby, worn, frayed.
Tavel A municipality on the Rhône River in Languedoc, a province of southern France; the highly regarded rose wine produced there.
tax-cart An open two-wheeled, one-horse cart, used chiefly for agricultural or trade purposes, on which was levied a reduced duty (later taken off entirely).
Taylor’s sermons Refers to the preaching of the Protestant theologian and Yale professor Nathaniel William Taylor (1786-1858). Born in New Milford, Connecticut, Taylor was known for his temperance preaching and developed a controversial system of theology involving freedom of will.
teal Any of several small freshwater ducks of the genus Anas, w
idely distributed in Europe, America, and Asia.
tea-wagon An EAST INDIAMAN used to transport tea.
Te Deum A Latin hymn that begins Te deum laudamus (“We praise you, oh God”), sung on special occasions in thanksgiving, or sung or recited at Roman Catholic matins or, in translation, at Anglican matins. Also, any thanksgiving.
teg A sheep in its second year, or from the time it is weaned until its first shearing; a yearling sheep.
telegraph The first chain of telegraphs was employed during the 1790s, linking the Louvre in Paris and Lisle (about 110 miles away), where the French Army was encamped. The plan and alphabet of the machine quickly traveled via Frankfort to England, where it was improved and installed between the ADMIRALTY and the coast in 1795. Each telegraph unit originally consisted of six octagonal boards, rotating on an axis and able to be placed either horizontally or vertically, so as to be visible or not to the next station in the chain. Different combinations indicated different letters of the alphabet or numbers. A succession of improvements altered the telegraph, which was effective in greatly speeding up the flow of information, despite the fact that it could not function in bad weather. In 1806 the Admiralty extended lines to PORTSMOUTH, Chatham, and Deal, and, branching off the Portsmouth line at Beacon Hill, to PLYMOUTH. In 1808 Yarmouth was linked to the system.
tell-tale compass A compass that is suspended overhead in the captain’s cabin facing down so that it is visible from below, enabling the captain to detect any error or irregularity in steering.
Templar A member of the Knights Templar, a military and religious order consisting of knights, chaplains, and men-at-arms, founded in the early 12th century in Jerusalem chiefly for the protection of the Holy Sepulcher and of Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land. So called because they built on or contiguous to the site of the Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem.
tenaculum A fine sharp-pointed hook used especially to lift and hold arteries or other parts of the body during surgery.
tender A vessel that attends a MAN-OF-WAR, primarily in harbor, supplying the ship with provisions and munitions and carrying mail and dispatches. A press tender was a small vessel commanded by a LIEUTENANT that was used to round up volunteers and IMPRESSed men and deposit them in RECEIVING SHIPS in home ports, from where they were assigned to naval ships.
tendre A tender feeling, fondness (French).
tenesmus A continual but ineffectual urge to void the contents of the bowels or bladder, accompanied by straining.
teniente Spanish for “lieutenant.”
tenuity Lack of substance or strength; slenderness.
teratoma A usually benign tumor of the gonads caused by disturbances in the development of germ cells.
teredo A shipworm, or any of various elongated marine clams that resemble worms and damage the submerged timbers of ships, piers, and sea-dikes by boring into the wood. The shipworm was at first thought to be a worm and was recognized as a mollusk only in 1733. Beginning in 1779, the principal means of combatting it was to copper-sheath the underwater body of a ship.
tergiversation Turning one’s back on or forsaking a cause, party, or faith. Evasion of straightforward action or statement, equivocation.
termagant An imaginary Muslim deity represented in medieval mystery plays as a boisterous and abusive character. An overbearing or quarrelsome person, especially a woman; a shrew.
tern Any of various seabirds of the genus Sterna or subfamily Sternin, related to the gull but more slender, with long pointed wings and a forked tail; a sea swallow.
terraqueous Composed of land and water.
tertian A form of malarial fever that recurs every 48 hours. Compare QUARTAN.
tertiary A monastic third order, especially of lay members not subject to the strict rules of the regulars, originated by St. Francis of Assisi and an established institution among the Franciscans, Dominicans, and others.
tes moeurs crapuleuses … tu cherches à corrompre mon paresseux ... va done, eh, salope ... espèce de fripouille Your depraved behavior .. . you’re trying to corrupt my sloth ... go on, you trollop ... you damn scoundrel! (French).
tesoro Italian for “treasure.”
tessera A small piece of marble, glass, tile, or other material used to make a mosaic. Usually used in plural form (tesserae).
Testudo The typical genus of the tortoise family, Testudinidae, or a member of this genus.
tetanic Of, pertaining to, characterized by, or producing tetanus, an acute infectious disease characterized by rigidity and spasms of the voluntary muscles. See also OPISTHOTONOS.
Texel One of the small West Frisian Islands in the North Sea off the coast of the Netherlands, site of an important Dutch naval anchorage and blockaded by the British. The sea-fight between the British, under Admiral Duncan, and the Dutch, under Admiral de Winter, known as the Battle of CAMPERDOWN took place near Texel in 1797. Admiral Duncan succeeded in capturing the Dutch commander-in-chief, nine SHIPS OF THE LINE, and two FRIGATES.
thatcher One who thatches, especially one who thatches houses, hay ricks, and the like as a profession.
thaumaturge or thaumaturgist A performer of miracles, a magician.
thebaic Of or derived from OPIUM. The name refers to Thebes, an ancient Egyptian city, because Egypt was the source of the best opium. Thebaic tincture: LAUDANUM.
Theseus, H.M.S. A 74-gun third rate, built in 1786, in which NELSON attacked Santa Cruz, Tenerife, in 1797, and in which his wounded right arm was amputated following the battle. At the Battle of the NILE in 1798, the ship was commanded by Captain Ralph Willett Miller. She was broken up at Chatham in 1814.
thick and dry An order given when WEIGHing anchor for fresh and dry NIPPERS. When the nippers would start to slip, failing to hold to a slimy wet CABLE, sand and ashes were thrown on the cable and “fresh nippers, thick and dry,” replaced those in use.
thick-knee Any bird of the genus Oedicnemus, especially the stone curlew and the Norfolk, or great, plover. So called from the enlargement of the tibio-tarsal joint.
thick-kneed bustard The stone curlew (Oedicnemus crepitans).
thief-taker One who detects and captures a thief, especially one of a company specializing in the detection and arrest of thieves.
thieves’ cat A CAT-O’-NINE-TAILS with three knots on each of its tails used for the punishment of theft.
thimble A round or heart-shaped metal ring with a concave outer face around which a rope is spliced, forming an EYE. When spliced into the BOLTROPE of a sail, it makes a CRINGLE. A dog bitch (or dog-and-bitch) thimble is a special pair of thimbles used to prevent a CLEW from developing a half twist, as often happened because of the angle at which a sheet block was placed.
Thirty-Nine Articles The 39 statements or Articles of Religion that define the worship of the Church of England and to which those who take orders in the Church of England subscribe. Originally written in 1571, they were revised in 1662 following the restoration of Charles II to the throne. Similar to the Articles of Religion of the Episcopal Church in the United States, written in 1801.
thole-pin or thole A wooden peg used as a fastening. One of a pair of pegs set in the GUNWALE of a boat to hold an oar in place and to serve as the fulcrum of its action.
thoracic cage The bones (ribs, sternum, and spine) that make up the thorax.
thorough-paced Thoroughly trained or accomplished; thoroughgoing, complete.
Thousand Islands A group of about 100 small islands that make up part of Indonesia in the southwest Java Sea.
Thrale, Mrs. Henry (1741-1821) Born Hester Lynch Salusbury, she was a friend and benefactor of Samuel JOHNSON, the essayist and pioneering lexicographer. Johnson befriended the Thrale family, spent much time at their residence, Streatham Park, and traveled abroad with them. Hester Thrale was the mother of Queeney Thrale (see KEITH, LADY), who married Admiral Lord Keith (see ELPHINSTONE). After Mr. Thrale’s death in 1776, Johnson felt slighted when the widowed Mrs. Thrale became attached to the Italian musician Gabriel
Piozzi, whom she married in 1784. Mrs. Thrale wrote several books, including Anecdotes of the late Samuel Johnson, LL.D., during the last Twenty Years of His Life (1786), which James Boswell complained was frequently erroneous and unjustly harsh.
three sheets in the wind Very drunk, deriving from the fact that a ship with her SHEETS in the wind, or loose, is an unsteady, rolling vessel.
threshing Beating with or as with a flail or whip.
thrum-mat A piece of canvas or other heavy material into which THRUMS are inserted and which can be wrapped around RIGGING to prevent chafing.
thrums Short pieces of coarse yarn, used in mops and in THRUM-MATS. To thrum is to insert yarn pieces in a mat.
thrush An oral infection, chiefly of infants, characterized by white patches in the mouth and caused by a fungus (Candida albicans). In the 18th century, any of various throat infections.
Thucydides (c. 460-395 B.C.) A Greek historian who wrote History of the Peloponnesian War.
Thule The most northerly region of the ancient habitable world, conceived by ancient geographers to be a six days’ sail north of Britain and variously conjectured to be the present-day Shetland Islands, Iceland, the northern point of Denmark, or some point on the coast of Norway. See also ULTIMA THULE.
Thunderer, H.M.S. A third rate of 74 guns built on the Thames in 1783, she fought in 1794 at the GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE and in 1805 at TRAFALGAR with Lieutenant John Stockham as acting Captain. Later, in 1807 she was with Sir John Duckworth in the passage of the DARDANELLES. She was broken up in 1814.
thunder-stroke/thunder-stone Though Shakespeare does use both terms in his plays, he wrote in Cymbeline (a work famously dismissed by Dr. JOHNSON), “th’all-dreaded thunder-stone,” not “thunder-stroke,” as Amos Jacob rightly corrects Maturin in The Hundred Days (p. 151).
thwart A seat extending across a boat, on which the rower sits.
tib-cat A female cat.
ticket A payment warrant, especially a discharge warrant in which the amount of pay due to a soldier or sailor is written.
