Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Nautical, an untwisted skein of rope-yarn marled together and used for any purpose where a strong and pliant strap is required. Also selvage. See cut under nipper, 8.
Wiktionary
- n. nautical A skein or hank of rope yarns wound round with yarns or marline, used for stoppers, straps, etc.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Naut.) A skein or hank of rope yarns wound round with yarns or marline, -- used for stoppers, straps, etc.
Examples
“For all chambered guns except those of the Dahlgren pattern, the rammers will be adapted to the chamber, but, as above described, will answer equally well for the shot and selvagee wad.”
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition.
“Standing rigging, when stranded or shot away, is most readily and effectually secured for the moment by using stoppers composed of two small dead-eyes, fitted with double selvagee tails and lanyards, of sizes suitable to the rigging, whether lower or topmast.”
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition.
“The grommet thus formed is marled like a selvagee strap, and a section of about an inch is taken out of it, in order to make the wad, when swelled by dampness, enter the bore of the gun readily.”
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition.
“Shell or shotmen provide a sufficient supply of selvagee and six junk-wads, and supply the racks around the hatchways with shot from the lockers as required.”
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition.
“When loading with shot a selvagee wad is placed over it.”
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition.
“W. W.DS, hard, not to be used in firing salutes 1; 7; 26 selvagee, to be placed over shot 1; 75; 264 over elongated projectiles, prohibited 1; 103; 397 selvagee, a description of 3; 68; 214”
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition.
“The face of the rammer is hollowed, so as to embrace the front of the ball and press the selvagee wad home in its place.”
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition.
“CAPTAIN assists in casting loose and middling breeching; takes off and places amidships sight-covers, selvagee straps, and toggles; handles quoin; provides thumbstalls, priming-wires, and boring-bit, and equips himself with the first two; clears lock-string and lays it in a loose coil round the lock, convenient for use, and buckles on his waist-belt furnished as 1st Captain's.”
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition.
“Ten selvagee wads for shot and shell | On the breast-piece of the carriage, guns | strung on a pin.”
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition.
“No wad is required over a shell, but a selvagee wad may be used in heavy rolling.”
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition.
Lists
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The Aubrey/Maturin List I'm Gonna Mak...
I'm wading through Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels one by one, and someday, I'll wade through them again and list all the words I learned while reading them.
Edit: I started ma...studdingsail, carronade, mumchance, grumlin-futtocks, crosscat-harpings, holystone, sennit, orlop, orchitis, negus, kevel, altumal and 1112 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for selvagee.
chained_bear "... a sort of hank or skein of rope-yarn turned into a circular form, and marled together with spun-yarn. It is used to fasten round any rope, as a shroud or stay, so that a tackle may be hooked in it, to extend the said shroud or stay, in order to set it up."
—Falconer's New Universal Dictionary of the Marine (1816), 447 Oct 14, 2008
chained_bear "Don't you know you must pass the selvagee first, damn your eyes?"
--O'Brian, The Truelove, 132 Mar 11, 2008