Dictionary of Old Sea Terms By Peter Clissold

Sea terms are mostly of ancient origin, but since the turn of the century, when the first edition of this Dictionary was compiled, many new materials and techniques have come into use; for example, Glass Re-enforced Plastic for building, and the internal combustion engine for propelling vessels. Nearly all the sailing craft mentioned in the Dictionary may, and probably will, be fitted with motors and, as likely as not, their rig will be modified in consequence. Regulations, too, have been altered; for instance, the Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and the International Code of Signals have been revised more than once, while Helm Orders have been changed to Steering Orders, which resulted in the spoken orders being reversed in meaning. Our knowledge of ships and seafaring in earlier times has also increased.

Ansted dealt thoroughly with the craft and customs of his time and I have not altered his style, but it has been necessary to add more than 260 entries to bring his work up to date.

While certainly not exhaustive, it is hoped that this enlarged edition will be sufficient to meet the needs of those first encountering the sea, either in person or in literature, while others already familiar with nautical matters, may find interest in the description of things no longer often encountered.

A very comprehensive and popular nautical dictionary for seamanship terms.