governess cart an open cart for pulling children, for fun.
grocer's wagon a large, open-top wagon.
gurney a rear-entry cab that seated four passengers, popularly used in New York.
hack a one-horse cab. Also, a driving horse.
hansom a one-horse cab or cabriolet, noted for having its driver's seat located high in the back of the vehicle instead of at the front.
haw a driver's traditional command to horses to turn left. See gee.
landau A German-designed, four-wheeled, closed carriage having two passenger seats and a roof made in two sections, the rear of which could be folded down.
omnibus a horse-pulled bus.
phaeton a two-horse carriage having a collapsible top, the vehicle of choice among physicians and women.
prairie schooner same as a conestoga but having a flat, boxy body rather than a boatlike one.
road coach an English-designed traveling carriage similar to a stage coach.
rockaway a multipassenger carriage with a roof extending over the driver to protect him from the elements. The rockaway was noted for its front window through which the driver and passengers could converse.
shay see chaise.
Studebaker an open farm wagon pulled by two horses.
surrey a family vehicle having two long seats facing forward and, frequently, a fringed canopy top.
top buggy a one-horse buggy accommodating one or two people, used for errands and short excursions.
Victoria an elegant wagon resembling a giant slipper on wheels. It had plush upholstery and a collapsible top and was used by the upper class.
sailing
(Also see ships and boats)
abeam at right angles to the vessel.
ADF automatic direction finder, a radio direction finder.
aft near or at the stern.
aground hung up on the bottom or on shore.
ahull when a vessel is hove-to with all of its sails lowered.
alee on the side of the boat opposite to the wind direction.
all standing all sails flying. aloft overhead.
anchorage a safe place to lay anchor, preferably protected from wind and current.
anchors aweigh a directive to raise the anchor.
anchor light a white light illuminated on the forestay at night.
anemometer a device for measuring wind speed.
antifoulant a chemical agent, such as copper, used in boat paint to retard the growth of algae and barnacles on the bottom of the boat.
aport to the port or left side of the vessel.
apparent wind the wind strength and direction as perceived on a moving vessel; not the actual wind.
ashore on shore.
aspect ratio the ratio of sail height to sail length, for example, a tall, narrow sail is said to have a high aspect ratio.
astern toward or at the stern. athwartship abeam.
autopilot a device used in tandem with a compass on a boat's steering apparatus to automatically maintain a constant course.
auxiliary an engine used on a sailboat when the wind fails.
back a sail to fill a sail with wind from an opposing direction in order to slow the vessel.
backing wind a wind direction that is changing in a counterclockwise fashion.
backstay a wire rigged to control the amount of bend in a mast.
ballast any heavy objects or substance, such as sand, stones, water, laid in the bottom of a vessel to help stabilize it, especially in heavy seas.
barber hauler an adjustment for a jib sheet to change the sheeting angle.
bare poles said of a vessel sailing with all sails furled, when the wind is powerful enough to move the boat without sails.
barnacles marine animals that attach themselves to a boat's bottom.
barometer an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.
batten a strip of wood, plastic, or metal fitted into a sail's pockets to help maintain the sail's correct shape.
beach to sail a vessel onto the shore.
beam the width of a vessel at its widest point.
bear away to alter course away from the wind. Also known as to bear off or fall off.
bearing position or direction in relation to something else.
beat to sail to windward close-hauled while tacking; to make a series of tacks on an upwind course.
Beaufort wind scale a wind and sea classification scale, from 0 (flat calm) to 12 (hurricane winds with waves reaching 14 meters).
becalmed unable to move due to wind failure.
belay to wrap or secure a line around a cleat or belaying pin.
belaying pin a wood or metal pin around which line is secured.
bend a sail to attach a sail to the boom and mast.
berth a docking space. Also, a sleeping compartment.
bilge the area beneath the cabin floor, where water (bilge water) tends to collect.
binnacle an encased compass mounted on a pedestal.
bitt a short post on a deck or dock, used for belaying mooring lines.
bitter end the last link of an anchor chain as it is let out. Also, the end of any line.
blanket the loss of wind when one boat positions itself directly upwind of a downwind boat.
block a pulley.
blooper an L-shaped sail.
board to get on or walk on a boat.
boat hook a pole used to aid in mooring or for securing another boat.
boom the spar on which the bottom or food of a sail is secured.
boom vang a tackle attached to the boom to keep it from rising.
bosun's chair a seat in which a crew member is hoisted to conduct work aloft.
bow the front of a vessel.
bowline a mooring line at the bow. Also known as a painter.
bowsprit a spar projecting beyond the bow, for attaching a headsail.
break ground to break an anchor free from the sea bottom.
breakwater a barrier to protect a harbor from heavy seas.
brightwork collective term for all metal fittings and varnished woodwork.
broach to lose control of the boat, which swings about sideways.
bulkhead a partition.
bulwarks the raised sides of a vessel, above the upper deck.
buoy a flotation device, sometimes having bells and lights, for marking banks, channels, and hazards.
burgee a yacht club pennant.
cabin living space below deck.
camber the curvature of a sail.
cast off to release mooring lines and set sail.
catamaran a twin-hulled sailboat.
centerboard the large center fin or plate, used in place of a keel; it helps prevent rolling. See dagger- board, keel.
chock a deck fitting through which lines are passed.
cleat a one- or two-prolonged fixture around which line is belayed.
clew the lower aft corner of a fore-and-aft sail.