This glossary of nautical terms is an alphabetical listing of terms and expressions connected with ships, shipping, seamanship and navigation on water (mostly though not necessarily on the sea). Some remain current, while many date from the 17th to 19th centuries. The word nautical derives from the Latin nauticus, from Greek nautikos, from nautēs: "sailor", from naus: "ship". Further information on nautical terminology may also be found at Nautical metaphors in English, and additional military terms are listed in the Multiservice tactical brevity code article. Terms used in other fields associated with bodies of water can be found at Glossary of fishery terms, Glossary of underwater diving terminology, Glossary of rowing terms, and Glossary of meteorology.
M
mack A structure which combines the radar mast and the exhaust stack of a surface ship, thereby saving valuable deck space.
Mae West A Second World War personal flotation device used to keep people afloat in the water; named after the 1930s actress Mae West, well known for her large bosom.
magazine Also ship's magazine. The ammunition storage area aboard a warship.
magnetic bearing An absolute bearing using magnetic north.
magnetic north The direction towards the North Magnetic Pole. Varies slowly over time.
maiden voyage The first voyage of a ship in its intended role, i.e. excluding trial trips.
Maierform bow A V-shaped bow introduced in the late 1920s which allowed a ship to maintain a given speed with less power, improved seakeeping, increased reserve buoyancy, reduced pitching movements, and improved propeller immersion to increase performance in rough seas.
main The high sea; the open ocean.
main deck The uppermost continuous deck extending from bow to stern.
mainbrace Either of the braces attached to the yard of the mainsail (the largest and lowest sail on the mainmast) on a square-rigged vessel.
mainmast Also simply main. 1. The tallest mast on a ship with more than one mast, especially the tallest mast on a full-rigged ship. 2. On a ship with more than one mast, the second mast from the bow.
mainmast head The top of a sailing vessel's mainmast.
mainmastman A sailor assigned to the mainmast.
mains The main brails on the mainsail.
mainsheet A sail control line that allows the most obvious effect on mainsail trim. Primarily used to control the angle of the boom, and thereby the mainsail, this control can also increase or decrease downward tension on the boom while sailing upwind, significantly affecting sail shape. For more control over downward tension on the boom, a boom vang may be used.
mainstay The stay running from the top of the mainmast to the bottom of the foremast, or from the top of the foremast to the ship's stem.
making way When a vessel is moving under its own power.
man-of-war Also man o' war. A warship from the Age of Sail.
man overboard 1. An emergency call that alerts the crew that someone aboard has gone overboard into the water and must be rescued. 2. A person who has fallen into the water from a ship or boat – the object of the resulting rescue attempt.
man the rails To station the crew of a naval vessel along the rails and superstructure of the vessel as a method of saluting or rendering honors.
man the yards To have all of the crew of a sailing vessel not required on deck to handle the ship go aloft and spread out along the yards. Originally used in harbors to display the whole crew to harbor authorities and other ships present to show that the vessel's guns were not manned and hence her intentions were peaceful, manning the yards has since become a display used in harbor during celebrations and other special events.
manifest A document listing the cargo, passengers, and crew of a ship for the use of customs and other officials.
Marconi rig An archaic term for Bermuda rig. The mainsail is triangular, rigged fore-and-aft with its luff fixed to the mast. The foresail (jib) is a staysail hanked onto the forestay. Refers to the similarity of the tall mast to a radio aerial.
marina A docking facility for small ships and yachts.
marine 1. A soldier trained for service afloat in a (primarily) infantry force that specializes in naval campaigns and subordinated to a navy or a separate naval branch of service rather than to an army. Often capitalized (e.g. a Marine or the Marines). Notable examples are the United Kingdom's Royal Marines, formed as the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot in 1664 with many and varied duties including providing guard to ship's officers should there be a mutiny aboard, and the US Marine Corps, formed in 1775 as a separate naval service alongside the US Navy. It is incorrect, and often viewed by marines as offensive, to refer to a marine as a "soldier" or "infantryman", as these terms refer to personnel of an army rather than those of a marine force. It also is incorrect, and sometimes considered offensive by both merchant mariners and marines, to refer to merchant mariners as "merchant marines", because merchant mariners are civilian sailors responsible for operating merchant ships and are not marines. Marines sometimes are thought by seamen to be rather gullible, hence the phrase "tell it to the marines", meaning that one does not believe what is being said. 2. An alternative term for a navy, uncommon in English but common in other languages. 3. Of or pertaining to the sea (e.g. marine biology, marine insurance, marine salvage). 4. A painting representing a subject related to the sea.
marine sandglass (or glass) An hourglass-like timekeeping instrument used aboard ships from at least the 14th century until reliable mechanical timepieces replaced it in the early 19th century. Marine sandglasses measured the passage of time in 30-minute increments to regulate time on watch, to measure a boat's speed, and to assist in determining a ship's position by measuring the time elapsed while she was on a given course.
mariner A sailor.
maritime 1. Of or related to the sea (e.g., maritime activities, maritime law, maritime strategy). 2. Bordering on the sea (e.g., maritime provinces, maritime states). 3. Living in or near the sea (e.g., maritime animals). 4. Of or relating to a mariner or sailor.
marlinspike A tool used in ropework for tasks such as unlaying rope for splicing, untying knots, or forming a makeshift handle.
martnet A type of brail attached to the leech of square sails (particularly the courses) and of the lateen mizzen; superseded by the leechline c. 1650
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