An admiral is a senior ranking officer in the US Navy, and the word signifies a commander of a fleet, or part of a fleet, in all maritime nations. From the Arabic word amir meaning prince or leader.
Adrift
Not moored, at the will of the wind and tide. From the middle English drifte (to float). Sailors used the word to describe anything missing or come undone. From this word came drifter, a person without purpose or aim in life.
Ahoy!
This traditional greeting for hailing other vessels was originally a Viking battle cry.
Aye, Aye
Aye is old English for "yes." The seaman's reply "Aye aye, sir," means, "I understand and I will obey."
Bamboozle
From the 17th century, it described the Spanish custom of hoisting false flags to deceive (bamboozle) enemies.
Barge
The word barge has two nautical meanings. First as a term applied to a flag officer's boat or highly decorated vessel used for ceremonial occasions. The second usage refers to the more common, flat-bottomed work boat which is hard to maneuver and difficult to control. Hence the term . . . barge in.
Before the mast
The position of the crew whose living quarters on board were in the forecastle (the section of a ship forward of the foremast). The term is also used more generally to describe seamen as compared with officers, in phrases such as, "he sailed before the mast." Most ships today have cabins for their crew.
Between the Devil and the Deep
The devil was the longest seam of the ship, thought to be the first plank on the outer hull of a wooden vessel from stem to stern. When at sea and the devil had to be caulked, the sailor hung from a rope to do so. He was suspended between the devil and the sea - a very precarious position, especially when the ship was underway.
Bitter End
The end of the anchor line secured to a sturdy post on the deck called a bitt. The line was paid out in order to set the anchor. However, if the water was deeper than anticipated the rope would pay out to the bitter end . . . ooops.
Bluejacket
The first uniform that was ever officially sanctioned for sailors in the Royal Navy was a short blue jacket open in the front. It is now used as a generic name for a Navy enlisted person.
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