A hemispherical medusa found in the Indian and Red Seas. The body is transparent and brownish, with a black cross in the middle, and has foliaceous white arms on the under part.
ANDROMEDÆ α. (Alpheratz.) A star of the first magnitude in the constellation of Andromeda.
ANELACE. The early name for a dirk or dagger usually worn at the girdle.
ANEMOMACHIA. A whirlwind or hurricane in old writers.
ANEMOMETER, or Wind-gauge. An instrument wherewith to measure the direction and velocity of wind under its varying forces—a desideratum at sea.
ANEMONE. See Animal Flowers.
ANEMOSCOPE. A vane index with pointers to tell the changes of the wind without referring to the weather-cock.
AN-END. The position of any spar when erected perpendicularly to the deck. The top-masts are said to be an-end when swayed up to their usual stations and fidded. To strike a spar or plank an-end is to drive it in the direction of its length. (See Every Rope an-end.)
ANENT, or Anenst. Opposite to; over against.
ANEROID. A portable barometer or instrument for showing variations of the weather by the pressure of the atmosphere upon a metallic box hermetically sealed.
ANEROST. A coast-word of the western counties for nigh or almost.
ANEW. Enough, as relating to number.
ANGEL-FISH. The Squatina angelus, of the shark family. It inhabits the northern seas, is six or eight feet long, with a cinereous rough back and white smooth belly; the mouth is beneath the anterior part of the head, and the pectoral fins are very large. (Also, Chætodon.)
ANGEL-HEAD. The hook or barb of an arrow; probably angle-head.
ANGEL-SHOT. A ball cut in two, and the halves joined by a chain.
ANGIL. An old term for a fishing-hook [from the Anglo-Saxon ongul, for the same]. It means also a red worm used for a bait in angling or fishing.
ANGLE. The space or aperture intersected by the natural inclination of two lines or planes meeting each other, the place of intersection being called the vertex or angular point, and the lines legs. Angles are distinguished by the number of degrees they subtend, to 360°, or the whole circumference of a circle. Angles are acute, obtuse, right, curvilinear, rectilinear, &c. (all of which see).
ANGLE-DOG, or Angle-twitch. A large earth-worm, sought for bait.
ANGLE-IRONS. Certain strips of iron having their edges turned up at an angle to each other; they are of various sizes, and used for the ribs and knees of the framing of iron vessels.
ANGLE OF COMMUTATION. The difference between the heliocentric longitudes of the earth and a planet or comet, the latter being reduced to the ecliptic.
ANGLE OF ECCENTRICITY. An astronomical term denoting the angle whose sine is equal to the eccentricity of an orbit.
ANGLE OF ELEVATION. See Elevation.
ANGLE OF INCIDENCE. See Incidence.
ANGLE OF LEE-WAY. The difference between the apparent compass-course and the true one—arising from lateral pressure and the effect of sea when close-hauled. It is not applicable to courses when the wind and sea are fair.
ANGLE OF POSITION. A term usually confined to double stars, to distinguish the line of bearing between them when they are apparently very near to each other.
ANGLE OF REFLECTION. See Reflection.
ANGLE OF SITUATION. This was formerly called the angle of position, and is also termed the parallactic angle (which see).
ANGLE OF THE CENTRE. In fortification, the angle formed at the centre of the polygon by lines drawn from thence to the points of two adjacent bastions.
ANGLE OF THE SHOULDER. See Epaule.
ANGLE OF THE VERTICAL. The difference between the geographical and geocentric latitudes of a place upon the earth's surface.
ANGLER. A fisherman, or one who angles for recreation rather than profit. Also a species of Lophius or toad-fish; from its ugliness and habits called also the sea-devil. It throws out feelers by which small fry are enticed within its power.
ANGLES OF TIMBERS. See Bevelling.
ANGLING. The practice of catching fish by means of a rod, line, hook, and bait, which by its mixture of idleness and chance forms recreation; but however simple the art appears, it requires much nicety.
ANGON. A javelin formerly used by the French, the point of which resembled a fleur-de-lis: it is also generally applied to the half-pike or javelin.
ANGOSIADE. An astronomical falsehood; a term originating from the pretended observations of D'Angos at Malta.
ANGRA [Sp.] Bay or inlet.—Angra grande, pequena, &c., on the coasts of Spanish and Portuguese settlements.
ANGUILLIFORM. Applied to fishes having the shape, softness, and appearance of eels.
ANGULAR CRAB. An ugly long-armed crustacean—the Goneplax angulata—with eyes on remarkably long stalks.
ANGULAR DISTANCE. This term, when applied to celestial bodies, implies that the sun and moon, or moon and stars, are within measuring distance for lunars.
ANGULAR MOTION is that which describes an angle, or moves circularly round a point, as planets revolving about the sun.
ANGULAR VELOCITY. This is a term used in the orbits of double stars, and implies the motion in a certain time of one star round the other.
ANILLA. A commercial term for indigo, derived from the plant whence it is prepared. [Sp. anil, indigo, Indigofera; alnyl, Arab.]
ANIMAL FLOWERS. Actiniæ, or sea-anemones and similar animals, which project a circle of tentacula resembling flowers. Formerly they were all classed under zoophytes.
ANIMATE. The giving power or encouragement.—To animate a battery, to place guns in its embrasures.—To animate a needle, to magnetize it.—To animate the crew in various ways for any special duty.
ANKER. An anker of brandy contains ten gallons. The kegs in which Hollands is mostly exported are ankers and half-ankers.
ANKER-FISH. A name of a kind of cuttle-fish.
ANKLE-BONE. An old seaman's term for the crawfish.
ANNELIDS. A class of worm-like animals, of which the body is composed of a series of rings.
ANNET. A sea-gull, well known in Northumberland and on the northern coasts.
ANNIVERSARY WINDS. Those
