Seafarer’s Dictionary Part 1

Sailing vocabulary peppers the English language, with nautical terms being used or finding new senses with non-nautical people. It is quite amazing how much of our everyday vocab has maritime origins.

Below you will find part 1 of our very own Seafarer’s dictionary with original meanings and the landlubber definition:

Aboveboard

Seafarer: above deck

Landlubber: out in the open, honest

Adrift

Seafarer: not tied or secure all gear to be secured

Landlubber: acting or living without purpose

Anchor

Seafarer: a heavy object that holds a vessel in place

Landlubber: a person or thing that figuratively keeps another person or thing steady

Awash

Seafarer: water level with or slightly covering the deck

Landlubber: overwhelmed

Bail

Seafarer: to throw out seawater or rainwater that has collected in a vessel

Landlubber: to abandon

Ballast

Seafarer: stabilising weights placed in the hull of a vessel

Landlubber: something that steadies or weights down

Beachcomber

Seafarer: a sailor without a berth on a shipboard assignment

Landlubber: someone who searches along the seashore for spoils

Bearing

Seafarer: one’s position at sea

Landlubber: posture or deportment

Cockpit

Seafarer: a steering or berthing compartment

Landlubber: a pilot’s compartment in an aeroplane

Course

Seafarer: the direction the ship is sailing

Landlubber: a procedure or way of acting

Current

Seafarer: a directional movement of water

Landlubber: the prevailing mood or tendency

Heading

Seafarer: the direction the ship is sailing

Landlubber: one’s course in life or towards a destination

Helm

Seafarer: steering apparatus or to operate such equipment

Landlubber: a position of leadership or to lead

Keelhaul

Seafarer: to drag a sailor underneath the ship along the hull as punishment

Landlubber: to severely punish

Leeway

Seafarer: sideways movement of a vessel because of current or wind

Landlubber: flexibility

If you know of any more, then do drop us a line and we will add it to our collection. If you have found this interesting then look out for part 2, coming soon!