In the Sea-Language: Sailing Terms in Britannica's First Edition

a sea term, signifying towards the stern: for instance, abaft the mizzen-mast, implies, that the object is between the mizzen-mast and the stern.

in the sea-language. When a ship sails towards the shore, before the wind, she is said to bear in with the land or harbor. To let the ship sail more before the wind, is to bear up. To put her right before the wind, is to bear round. A ship that keeps off from the land, is said to bear off. When a ship that was to windward comes under another ship's stern, and so gives her the wind, she is said to bear under her lee, etc. There is another sense of this word, in reference to the burden of a ship; for they say a ship bears, when having too slender or lean a quarter, she will sink too deep into the water with an over light freight, and thereby can carry but a small quantity of goods.

in the sea-language, denotes an addition to a sail: Thus they say, lace on the bonnet or shake off the bonnet.

in the sea-language, signifies as much as to hale or pull. Thus bowsing upon a tack, is haling upon a tack. Bowse away, that is, pull away all together.

in the sea-language, the ropes with which the great guns are lashed, or fastened to the ship's side. They are thus called, because made to pass round the breech of the gun.

in the sea-language, the bringing a ship to lie down on one side, in order to trim and caulk the other side. A ship is said to be brought to the careen, when the most of her lading being taken out, she is halled down on one side by a small vessel as low as necessary; and there kept by the weight of the ballast, ordnance, etc., as well as by ropes, lest her masts should strained too much; in order that her sides and bottom may be trimmed, seams caulked, or any thing that is faulty under water mended. Hence when a ship lies on one side when she sails, she is said to sail on the careen.

in the sea-language, is said of a ship when an anchor being let fall will not hold her fast, nor prevent her sailing away with the tide or wind.  The best help in this case is to let fall more anchors, or to veer out more cable; for the more cable she has out, the safer she rides. When a ship is a-hull, or a-try, they say she drives to leeward.

in the sea-language, is that part of the boltrope which at the four corners of the sail is left open, in the shape of a ring. The two uppermost parts are put over the ends of the yard-arms, and so the sail is made fast to the yard; and into the lowermost earings, the sheets and tacks are seized or bent at the clew.

in the sea-language, little flat wedges made with iron, used at the ends of bolts, to keep them from flying out of their holes.

in the sea-language: A ship is said to founder, when by an extraordinary leak, or by a great sea breaking in upon her she is so filled with water, that she cannot be freed of it; so that she can neither veer nor steer, but lie like a log; and not being able to swim long, will at last sink.

in the sea-language. When one ship is to windward of another, she is said to have the weather-gage of her. They likewise call the number of feet that a vessel sinks in the water, the ship's gage: this they find by driving a nail into a pike near the end, and putting it down beside the rudder till the nail catch hold under it; then as many feet as the pike is under water, is the ship's gage.

in the sea-language, a large rope, or a kind of small cable, serving for various uses a-board a ship, as to fasten the main and fore shrouds, to warp a ship as she lies at anchor, and wind her up to it by a capstan, etc. The hawser of a man of war may serve for a cable to the sheet anchor of a small ship.

of a ship, is a piece of timber fastened into the rudder, which comes forward into the steerage, or place where the person at the helm steers the ship, by holding the whipstaff in his hand, which is joined to the helm. They begin however to be left off, steering wheels being used in their room.

There are several terms in the sea-language relating to the helm: as, bear up the helm; that is, let the ship go more large before the wind. Helm a mid ship, or right the helm; that is, keep it even with the middle of the ship. Port the helm, put it over the left side of the ship. Starboard the helm, put it on the right side of the ship.

in the sea-language, is said of a ship or boat, when her bolts or nails are so eaten with rust, and so worn away, that they occasion hollows in the planks, whereby the vessel is rendered leaky.

in the sea-language, a word of various significations; though it is generally understood to mean the part opposite to the wind. Thus lee shore, is that shore against which the wind blows. Lee-latch, or have a care of the lee-latch, is, take care that the ship do not go to the leeward, or too near the shore. A lee the helm, put it to the leeward side of the ship. To lie by the lee, or to come up to the lee, is to bring the ship so, that all her sails may lie flat against her masts and shrouds, and that the wind may come right upon her broad side.

in the sea-language, names given to the little rollers or round wheels of pulleys.

in the sea-language, is that part of the mould of a ship, where she begins to compass in at the rung-heads: all when the hawser is dragged along the bottom of the sea, to recover any thing that is sunk, they call this action sweeping for it.

in the sea-language, is a row of cannon placed along a ship's side, either above upon deck, or below, distinguished by the epithets of upper and lower tires.

is that half of the yard that is on either side the mast, when it lies athwart the ship.

of a ship, are those long pieces of timber which are made a little tapering at each end, and are fitted athwart its proper mast, with the sails made fast to them, so as to be hoisted up, or lowered down, as occasion serves. They have their names from the masts unto which they belong.

among sailors, implies ready or quick as: be yare at the helm; that is, be quick, ready, and expeditious at the helm. It is sometimes also used for bright by seamen: as, to keep his arms yare, that is to keep them clean and bright.