LACED MUTTON : A derogatory name for a common woman.
LARBOARD : The port or left side of any ship when one is facing forward, toward the bow.
LASH-UP : To secure anything down with small bits of cordage (ropes) called lashings.
LATITUDE : The position of a vessel upon the earth North or South of the equator.
LEAGUE : A distance of about three miles (on the sea that would be nautical miles) or three and a half miles on
land.
LEAD LINE : The length of line attached to a sounding lead, marked at specified intervals with knots, sticks, or
coloured rags so depths could be measured. Lead lines of different lengths were used in various instances, some
for shallow waters, some for deeper waters.
LEE : The side of a ship or island away from the wind.
LET FLY : An order used to loosen sails and immediately slow or halt a ships movement.
LETTERS OF MARQUE : A document or letters issued by a government to privateers allowing them to raid enemy
ships with impunity from their own government. Most often this was an agreement between the captain of the ship
and the government that a percentage of the spoils taking during these raids (usually ten percent) would be turned
over to the issuer of the decree. This was a simple and effective way for governments at war to not only disrupt
shipping and trade of their enemies, but also to make money.
LIFELINE : A length of rope used as a safety line for crewmen. Lifelines might be stretched along the decks during
rough seas, or simply left trailing behind in case a crewman were to fall overboard.
LIGHT MONEY : Gold and silver cob dollars had a naturally uneven circular appearance making them subject to
having their edges clipped. A person would clip the edges of coins and over time might collect a substantial
amount of gold or silver however, since the value of the coins were based upon their weight in precious metal,
their value would be decreased.
LIGNUM VITAE : A very hard and dense wood of an evergreen tree native to Florida and the Caribbean and used
in many nautical applications due to its self-lubricating qualities and its durability.
LINE OF BATTLE : The most effective method of attack by a sailing ship was to fire a broadside, so a fleet of
ships would form up in a single file line, thus bringing all guns to bear on the enemy. Naval fighting ships used in
this manner would be called a "ship of the line."
LOGGERHEAD : A tool used when caulking ships consisting of a large, oval shaped head on a long rod that when
heated could be placed in a bucket of pitch in order to melt the pitch. This eliminated the need to heat pitch in an
iron pot over a fire, which could spill and catch fire.
LOGGERHEAD (2) : A very large species of sea turtle which grows to be up to 800 pounds.
L'OLONNAIS : An extremely cruel and feared pirate named Jean David Nau (1635? to 1668) who became known
as Francois L'Ollonais, reported from Les Sables-d'Olonne (hence "'Ollonais) France. It is from the tales of
L'Ollonais that many terrible acts have been attributed to pirates, due to his prolific raping, torturing, and generally
vicious acts.
LONGBOAT : A large boat carried or towed by sailing ships for movement in small waterways or shallow
waters. Longboats could be large enough to carry sixty men or more, using oars or sails for propulsion.
LONG CLOTHES : A sailor's (or pirates) "going ashore" clothes, which might include coats and shoes not
normally worn about the ship.
LONGITUDE : A position on the earth as defined by lines running from North to South (along the long axis of the
earth) and marked by hours of rotation.
LOOSE CANNON : Cannons had to be tied securely to the decks (lashed up) when not in use so they would not
roll about on their own. A loose cannon in rough seas could begin to roll about and cause a tremendous amoutn of
damage to a vessel.
LOUIS D'OR : Any of a variety of French coins introduced by Louis XIII in 1640.
LUBBER : A person who is inexperienced or clumsy at sea.
MAINSTAY : The supporting timberwork for the main mast. The mast of a ship is set through a hole in the deck
and must have large wooden wedges or shims set in around the mast to make it plumb to the deck.
MAKE FAST : Tying or securing an object or rope.
MAKE HEADWAY : When a ship moves forward, especially against a tide or current.
MAN-O'-WAR : A naval rated warship.
MARLING SPIKE : An iron or wooden tool shaped like a spike and used to separate the strands of a rope, known
as marling, for splicing. An iron marling spike could also be used as an effective weapon.
MAROON : To be abandoned or trapped upon a desolate island. Pirates would often maroon a man on a small
island as punishment for more severe crimes aboard ship. One who was thus abandoned was called a maroon.
MASTER : The ships master was responsible for sailing the ship, and all work associated with sailing, including
navigation.
MATCH : A slow burning taper of small rope used to ignite a cannon.
MOIDORES : Gold coins minted in Portugal from 1640 to 1732.
MONKEY KEG : Monkeys are small animals, hence anything preceded by 'monkey' was small. A monkey keg was
a small keg, a monkey jacket was a jacket cut short for climbing in the rigging (like a monkey.)
MORTAR : A short, wide cannon which shoots at a high angle of trajectory, typically used against fortified
positions to drop explosive rounds inside the target.
MUD HOOK : An anchor
MULATTO : A person of mixed black and white origin.
MUSKETOON : A shortened version of a musket, less accurate at distance, but used for short range assault.
MUTINY : An uprising by a crew, or part of the crew of a ship against the captain and officers. Conditions aboard
naval and merchant vessels was often very hard, with cruel captains and officers. Occasionally, the crew would
rebel and take over the ship, sometimes turning to piracy.
LARBOARD : The port or left side of any ship when one is facing forward, toward the bow.
LASH-UP : To secure anything down with small bits of cordage (ropes) called lashings.
LATITUDE : The position of a vessel upon the earth North or South of the equator.
LEAGUE : A distance of about three miles (on the sea that would be nautical miles) or three and a half miles on
land.
LEAD LINE : The length of line attached to a sounding lead, marked at specified intervals with knots, sticks, or
coloured rags so depths could be measured. Lead lines of different lengths were used in various instances, some
for shallow waters, some for deeper waters.
LEE : The side of a ship or island away from the wind.
LET FLY : An order used to loosen sails and immediately slow or halt a ships movement.
LETTERS OF MARQUE : A document or letters issued by a government to privateers allowing them to raid enemy
ships with impunity from their own government. Most often this was an agreement between the captain of the ship
and the government that a percentage of the spoils taking during these raids (usually ten percent) would be turned
over to the issuer of the decree. This was a simple and effective way for governments at war to not only disrupt
shipping and trade of their enemies, but also to make money.
LIFELINE : A length of rope used as a safety line for crewmen. Lifelines might be stretched along the decks during
rough seas, or simply left trailing behind in case a crewman were to fall overboard.
LIGHT MONEY : Gold and silver cob dollars had a naturally uneven circular appearance making them subject to
having their edges clipped. A person would clip the edges of coins and over time might collect a substantial
amount of gold or silver however, since the value of the coins were based upon their weight in precious metal,
their value would be decreased.
LIGNUM VITAE : A very hard and dense wood of an evergreen tree native to Florida and the Caribbean and used
in many nautical applications due to its self-lubricating qualities and its durability.
LINE OF BATTLE : The most effective method of attack by a sailing ship was to fire a broadside, so a fleet of
ships would form up in a single file line, thus bringing all guns to bear on the enemy. Naval fighting ships used in
this manner would be called a "ship of the line."
LOGGERHEAD : A tool used when caulking ships consisting of a large, oval shaped head on a long rod that when
heated could be placed in a bucket of pitch in order to melt the pitch. This eliminated the need to heat pitch in an
iron pot over a fire, which could spill and catch fire.
LOGGERHEAD (2) : A very large species of sea turtle which grows to be up to 800 pounds.
L'OLONNAIS : An extremely cruel and feared pirate named Jean David Nau (1635? to 1668) who became known
as Francois L'Ollonais, reported from Les Sables-d'Olonne (hence "'Ollonais) France. It is from the tales of
L'Ollonais that many terrible acts have been attributed to pirates, due to his prolific raping, torturing, and generally
vicious acts.
LONGBOAT : A large boat carried or towed by sailing ships for movement in small waterways or shallow
waters. Longboats could be large enough to carry sixty men or more, using oars or sails for propulsion.
LONG CLOTHES : A sailor's (or pirates) "going ashore" clothes, which might include coats and shoes not
normally worn about the ship.
LONGITUDE : A position on the earth as defined by lines running from North to South (along the long axis of the
earth) and marked by hours of rotation.
LOOSE CANNON : Cannons had to be tied securely to the decks (lashed up) when not in use so they would not
roll about on their own. A loose cannon in rough seas could begin to roll about and cause a tremendous amoutn of
damage to a vessel.
LOUIS D'OR : Any of a variety of French coins introduced by Louis XIII in 1640.
LUBBER : A person who is inexperienced or clumsy at sea.
MAINSTAY : The supporting timberwork for the main mast. The mast of a ship is set through a hole in the deck
and must have large wooden wedges or shims set in around the mast to make it plumb to the deck.
MAKE FAST : Tying or securing an object or rope.
MAKE HEADWAY : When a ship moves forward, especially against a tide or current.
MAN-O'-WAR : A naval rated warship.
MARLING SPIKE : An iron or wooden tool shaped like a spike and used to separate the strands of a rope, known
as marling, for splicing. An iron marling spike could also be used as an effective weapon.
MAROON : To be abandoned or trapped upon a desolate island. Pirates would often maroon a man on a small
island as punishment for more severe crimes aboard ship. One who was thus abandoned was called a maroon.
MASTER : The ships master was responsible for sailing the ship, and all work associated with sailing, including
navigation.
MATCH : A slow burning taper of small rope used to ignite a cannon.
MOIDORES : Gold coins minted in Portugal from 1640 to 1732.
MONKEY KEG : Monkeys are small animals, hence anything preceded by 'monkey' was small. A monkey keg was
a small keg, a monkey jacket was a jacket cut short for climbing in the rigging (like a monkey.)
MORTAR : A short, wide cannon which shoots at a high angle of trajectory, typically used against fortified
positions to drop explosive rounds inside the target.
MUD HOOK : An anchor
MULATTO : A person of mixed black and white origin.
MUSKETOON : A shortened version of a musket, less accurate at distance, but used for short range assault.
MUTINY : An uprising by a crew, or part of the crew of a ship against the captain and officers. Conditions aboard
naval and merchant vessels was often very hard, with cruel captains and officers. Occasionally, the crew would
rebel and take over the ship, sometimes turning to piracy.
| Pirate Speak of the 1700s |
| a few words, terms, and phrases used aboard sailing ships during the 18th century |
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