A Sea of Words

by Dean King

  trilobate Having or consisting of three lobes.

  trim To prepare a vessel for sailing. To adjust the YARDS and sails of a vessel in relationship to the FORE-AND-AFT line to get the best effect from the wind. The set of a ship on the water—for example, BY THE HEAD or the STERN, or on an even KEEL—by which a vessel is best suited for navigation, and the adjustment of her BALLAST, cargo, and other weight to achieve this.

  Trincomalee Town, district, and seaport in eastern Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The ancient city of Gokanna, whose first European settlers were the Portuguese in 1612. Possession passed among the Dutch, the British, and the French during the 18th century and was finally secured by the British in 1795. Trincomalee eventually became a valuable naval anchorage that remained in British hands until 1957. H.M.S. Trincomalee: See FOUDROYANT.

  trireme An ancient GALLEY (originally Greek, later also Roman) with three banks of oars one above another, used chiefly as a ship-of-war.

  trismus Lockjaw, or spasm of the muscles of the neck and lower jaw, a symptom of TETANUS.

  Tristan da Cunha One of a group of small volcanic islands in the South Atlantic between South Africa and South America, sometimes called Lonely Island because no one lived there for 300 years after it was discovered by the Portuguese Admiral Tristao da Cunha in 1506. It was first settled by the British in 1810. During the War of 1812, the British SLOOP Penguin surrendered to the American sloop Hornet in 1815 off Tristan de Cunha in what proved to be the war’s final naval action. Today, Tristan da Cunha is a dependency of the British colony of ST. HELENA.

  trivet A three-legged metal stand for supporting a pot, kettle, or other cooking vessel over a fire. “As right as a trivet” means thoroughly or perfectly right (i.e., standing firm on its three feet).

  trocar or trochar A sharp, pointed surgical instrument fitted with a small tube and used to withdraw fluid from a body cavity such as the abdomen.

  tromba marina Italian for marine trumpet, a stringed instrument highly popular in the 15th century and used through the 18th century. It had a long body with only one or two strings, which produced a tone like that of a trumpet.

  trompe-couillon Something that deceives. Literally, trick the fool (French).

  tropic line See TROPIC OF CANCER and TROPIC OF CAPRICORN.

  Tropic of Cancer The line of latitude, 23° 27” north of the equator, that marks the northernmost point at which the sun is directly overhead at noon at some point during the year.

  Tropic of Capricorn The line of latitude, 23° 27” south of the equator, that marks the southernmost point at which the sun is directly overhead at noon at some point during the year.

  Troubridge, Sir Thomas (1758-1807) A British Rear-Admiral whose long career included action at CAPE ST. VINCENT, where his ship Culloden led the line of battle, and at the NILE. In 1807, sailing in H.M.S. Blenheim from Madras to the Cape of Good Hope (see CAPE OF STORMS), where he was to take command, Troubridge went down with his ship and all hands in a GALE off Madagascar.

  trub A truffle.

  truck A circular or square wooden cap at the head of a MAST or flagstaff, with small holes or SHEAVES for signal HALYARDS, used to HOIST signal flags. A small wooden block through which a PARREL, or rope that secures a YARD to the mast, was threaded to prevent its being frayed against the mast. Also, the wooden wheels on which a ship’s gun-carriages were mounted.

  truckle To take a subordinate or subservient position; to yield weakly or obsequiously.

  trunnions Short horizontal bars on both sides of a cannon by which it is mounted to the gun-carriage and that provide the axis upon which the cannon pivots when being aimed.

  truss The means of securing a YARD to a MAST, allowing it to slide up and down a mast.

  try out To extract by melting, to render. A try-pot is a pot used in whaling for trying out oil from blubber. The try-works is a brick structure located between the FOREMAST and MAINMAST to hold the fireplaces and the try-pots.

  trysail In a vessel with three MASTS, a small FORE-AND-AFT sail set on a GAFF or a BOOM on the FORE-or MAINMAST. A small, usually triangular sail used in heavy weather. See also STORM TRYSAIL.

  This ship is beating to windward under TRYSAILS. (From Serres’s Liber Nauticus)

  Tuam Small Irish town 19 miles northeast of Galway.

  tuan A master or lord. Used by Malays as a title of respect or a form of address, formerly especially to Europeans, similar to “sir” or “mister.”

  tub A slow, awkward ship, usually one that is too wide for its length; also, a short, broad boat used for rowing practice.

  Tu es là? Are you there? (French).

  tumble-home The inward inclination of a ship’s upper sides, causing the UPPER DECK to be narrower than the MAIN and LOWER DECKS.

  tumefaction The action or process of swelling; a swollen condition, as in a disease.

  tumefied Swollen, distended.

  tun A large cask or barrel, usually for liquids, especially wine or beer. A measure of capacity for liquids (formerly also for other substances), usually equal to 252 gallons.

  tundish A funnel, especially one fitting into the bunghole of a TUN and used in brewing.

  tunny Tuna.

  turbary Land where peat may be dug for fuel; the right to take peat for fuel from common property or from someone else’s land.

  turbot A large European flatfish, popular for eating. Any of various related flatfishes.

  turkey buzzard or turkey vulture An American vulture whose bare red head and dark plumage are similar to a turkey’s.

  Turkish delight A confection made from boiled gelatin, cut into cubes and dusted with sugar.

  turnip-beetle A tiny black leaping beetle that feeds on the young leaves of the turnip and other crucifers and whose larvae mine the full-grown leaf.

  turpentine enemata Enemas made with turpentine, among other ingredients.

  tussock A tuft, clump, or matted growth of grass or a similar plant; a tuft or bunch of leaves, feathers, or the like.

  Twelfth-night The eve of Twelfth-day, or Epiphany, a church festival celebrated on January 6 to commemorate the coming of the Three Wise Men.

  twice-laid Of rope, made from the best yarns of condemned old rope. Still, inferior to new rope.

  twiddling line A light line once used to hold the wheel of a ship in a desired position.

  twig To notice, to become aware of, to perceive, to comprehend.

  two-pair (short for two-pair-of-stairs) Situated above two flights of stairs, as a room.

  Tyburn tree Slang for the gallows. So called because Tyburn was London’s principal place of public hanging from 1388 to 1783. For a time, those condemned to die at Tyburn were given their last mug of ale at the nearby chapel of St.-Giles-in-the-Fields.

  Tyneside The banks of the River Tyne, an important industrial and maritime region on England’s northeast coast, including the city of NEWCASTLE-upon-Tyne, known for six hundred years for its export of coal and its shipbuilding.

  U

  ukase A decree or edict from the Russian emperor or government. Also, any proclamation or decree, especially one that is final or arbitrary.

  ultima ratio regum The final argument of kings (Latin). Louis XIV of France had this motto enscribed on all of his cannons.

  ultima Thule The highest point or degree attained or attainable, the acme, limit, but also the lowest limit, the nadir. From Virgil’s Georgics, in which he names the most northerly land THULE.

  unbend To unfasten, untie, or undo a CABLE, line, or sail.

  under hatches Below deck.

  unguent An ointment or salve.

  Union The Union flag or, officially, the Great Union, Great Britain’s national flag. The British Union Flag, designed in 1606, combined the white flag with the red cross of St. George used by England and the blue flag with the white cross of St. Andrew used by Scotland to symbolize the personal union of the two countries under King JAMES I. This union was formalized in 1707 through the Act of Union, which united the t
wo countries under the name Great Britain. With the addition of Ireland in 1801, the country changed its name to the United Kingdom and added the red St. Patrick’s cross to the Union Flag. It is called the Union Jack when flown in the BOW of a vessel. In the U.S. Navy, the Union Jack is a small flag that has the stars from the national flag and is flown in the bow.

  Unitarian A member or adherent of a Christian religious sect believing in unipersonality of the Godhead, especially as opposed to an orthodox Trinitarian. Founded in Central Europe in the 16th century and in England and the United States, through a separate movement, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

  Unite See SURPRISE.

  United Irishman A member of the Society of United Irishmen, a political association formed to promote union between Protestants and Catholics but that became a separatist secret society whose members helped organize the rebellion of 1798.

  United States, U.S.S. The first of the U.S. Navy’s six original FRIGATES—along with CONSTITUTION, President, CHESAPEAKE, Constellation, and Congress. Armed with 44 guns, she was launched at Philadelphia in 1797 and had an illustrious career. During the Quasi-War with France (1798-1801) she served as the FLAGSHIP of the senior officer, Commodore John Barry, and in 1812, under the command of Stephen Decatur, captured the British MACEDONIAN. After peace was made in 1814, she served as flagship in the Mediterranean. Decommissioned in 1849, she remained at Norfolk, Virginia, until 1861, when she was refitted for service in the Confederate States Navy. In 1862, she was scuttled in the Elizabeth River in Virginia as an obstacle against the U.S. Navy. Raised after a short period, she remained afloat until she was broken up in 1865.

  unslaked lime Calcium oxide (lime, quicklime), used therapeutically as a tonic and astringent. Unslaked meant that it had not been exposed to water.

  Upper Ossory A barony in Queens County, Ireland, in what is now County Kilkenny. Ossory was an ancient kingdom that dissolved in 1110.

  Upupa epops See HOOPOE.

  Urdu An Indo-Aryan language that originated near Delhi and was earlier called Hindustani. It is written in a modified form of the Persian Arabic alphabet and used by the Muslims in the area of present-day Pakistan and northern India. It is the official literary language of Pakistan.

  urinator One who dives under water; a diver.

  Ushant Island or lie d’Ouessant A rocky island off the coast of Brittany, France, about 40 miles northwest of BREST. It marks a pivotal point: to the west lies the open Atlantic, to the south the BAY OF BISCAY, and to the north the English Channel. It was a key point in navigation and played a role in the struggles between England and France in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The indecisive action that led to the famous COURT-MARTIAL of Admirals Keppel and Palliser happened off Ushant in 1778. One of the battles of FINISTERRE in October of 1747 is given the name Battle of Ushant. The battle of the GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE is sometimes called the Battle of Ushant

  V

  Vade retro, Satanas Get back, Satan! (Latin).

  Vae victis Woe to the vanquished (Latin).

  vail A profit or emolument in addition to salary, wages, or other regular payment, especially one attached to an office or position; a fee or offering of this nature. A gratuity given to a servant or attendant, especially by a house guest upon leaving. In the 17th and 18th centuries, servants were paid largely by means of these gratuities.

  valerian The root of the plant Valeriana afficinalis, used medicinally as both a stimulant and a weak sedative.

  Valetta or Valletta A seaport and the capital city of the island of MALTA. Built after 1565, it was named for Jean Parisot de la Valette, grand master of the Order of Hospitalers. It was taken by Napoleon in 1798 from the Knights Hospitalers, and following a Maltese revolt against the French, the British seized the island in 1800. At the end of the Napoleonic War, it became a British colonial possession and served as a strategic base for the British Mediterranean fleet.

  vali A civil governor of a Turkish province, or vilayet.

  Valparaiso A seaport on the Pacific coast of South America in Chile, which was a colonial possession of Spain before the country won independence in 1818.

  Vancouver, George (1757-1798) A British naval Captain and explorer who in 1792 made an extensive survey of the west coast of North America from what is now the San Francisco Bay area to British Columbia. Vancouver joined the Navy at the age of 13 and accompanied Captain COOK on his second and third voyages to the Pacific. An island and the city and seaport founded in 1824 on the western coast of Canada were named after George Vancouver.

  Van Diemen’s Land The west coast of Tasmania, named after Anthony van Diemen, the Dutch governor-general of the EAST INDIES who sponsored the exploration of Australia by Abel Tasman. Tasman discovered the island and named it in van Diemen’s honor in 1642. In 1853, it was renamed Tasmania in honor of the explorer.

  vang GUYS leading from the peak of a GAFF, securing it to the rail and keeping it amidships when the sail was not set.

  Vanguard, H.M.S. Nine ships of the Royal Navy bore this name. The fifth, a third rate of 74 guns, was built in 1787 and served as Lord NELSON’S FLAGSHIP at the Battle of the NILE in 1798.

  Van John Slang for vingt-et-un, French for the card game “twenty-one.”

  vapours Mild nervous disorders, such as hypochondriasis and hysteria, usually seen only in women.

  Variables of Cancer and Capricorn or Variables Regions of the ocean between 23°27” north and 23°27” south of the equator (the latitudes of the TROPIC OF CANCER and TROPIC OF CAPRICORN), where variable or shifting winds are normally found. In between the TRADE WINDS and the Westerlies. Also called the Horse Latitudes.

  vast (short for avast) Hold! Stop! Stay! Cease!

  Vathek See BECKFORD.

  vaticination An oracular or inspired prediction, a prognostication, a prophetic forecast. Also, divine or inspired apprehension or knowledge. Intuition, insight.

  Vauban, Sebastien Le Prestre de (1633-1707) A Marshal of France and the French military engineer who revolutionized the design of fortifications during the reign of Louis XIV.

  Vega A star of the first magnitude, the brightest in the constellation Lyra and the fourth brightest in the night sky.

  velleity A mere wish, desire, or inclination without an action or effort to realize the objective.

  Vendée A department of western France on the BAY OF BISCAY that gave its name to the insurrection of 1793 to 1796. The peasants of the Vendee opposed the Revolution after it turned against the Roman Catholic Church. An army of more than 50,000 men attempted to clear the region of revolutionary authorities. However, they were routed by the republican army. In 1796, British-backed royalist emigres tried to land here, at Quiberon. Under heavy opposition, the comte d’Artois (later Charles X) abandoned the Vendean leaders to capture and execution. Isolated royalist uprisings occurred in the Vendee in 1799 and 1815.

  venerem omitte No sex (Latin).

  vent-bit A tool used for clearing the vent of a gun when it is choked.

  Venus, H.M.S. This 36-gun fifth rate, built in 1758, fought at the battle at Quiberon Bay in 1759. Reduced to 32 guns, she fought at the GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE in 1794. She was renamed Heroine in 1809 and sold in 1828.

  verdigris Copper acetate, a green rust naturally forming on copper, brass, or bronze, used as a pigment and used in surgical dressings because of its antiseptic property.

  verge An area subject to the jurisdiction of the Lord High Steward, a distance of 12 miles around the King’s court.

  verjuice The sour juice of green or unripe grapes, crab apples, or other fruit, especially when made into an acidic liquor. This liquor was once much used in cooking, as a condiment, and for medicinal purposes.

  vermiform appendix The appendix. A vestige of some early stage of human evolution, it now has no known function.

  vermilion Cinnabar or red crystalline mercuric sulphide, valued for its brilliant scarlet color and used as a pigment or in the manufacture of red sealing wax. Also, any s
imilarly colored red earth used as a pigment.

  verminous Worm-infested.

  vesical Pertaining to the bladder; see CALCULUS.

  vestry A room or part of a church, usually situated in close proximity to the chancel or choir, in which the vestments, vessels for the service, and records are kept and in which the clergy and choir dress for service. A similar room at any church, chapel, or place of worship. In parish churches, also a meeting place for the transaction of certain parochial business. In Anglican parishes, another name for the parish council, an assembly or meeting of the parishioners to deliberate or legislate the affairs of the parish or certain temporal matters connected with the church.

  veuve Widow (French).

  vicar-general In the Roman Catholic Church, an ecclesiastical officer, usually a cleric, appointed by and representing a bishop in matters of jurisdiction or administration.

  viceroy One who acts as the governor of a country, province, or territory in the name of and by the authority of the supreme ruler. Literally, a vice-king.

  Victory, H.M.S. A 100-gun first rate and one of the most famous ships in British naval history. Built in 1765, she had a long career, participating in the American Revolution and in the French Revolution, when she was commanded by Lord HOWE. Rebuilt in 1801, she is best known for being the FLAGSHIP of Vice-Admiral Lord NELSON. At the battle of TRAFALGAR in 1805, Nelson was mortally wounded on the QUARTERDECK of the Victory. The ship was permanently drydocked in 1922 and can be visited by the public at PORTSMOUTH, England.

  victualler One who furnishes a vessel or navy with provisions. A merchant ship employed to carry provisions for a fleet or SQUADRON, a victualing ship.

  Victualling Office The office of the Victualling Board, the agency of the Royal Navy concerned with the provisioning of ships and responsible for the contracting, purchasing, and distribution of all SLOP clothing and food, as well as appointing to all ships a PURSER, who issued these provisions and kept accounts. In this period, the Victualling Office was located with the Navy Board at Somerset House.