An old name for a comet.

LEMON-ROB. The inspissated juice of limes or lemons, a powerful
anti-scorbutic.

LEND A FIST OR A HAND. A request to another to help.

LEND US YOUR POUND HERE! A phrase demanding assistance in man-weight;
alluding to the daily allowance of beef.

LENGTHENING. The operation of cutting a ship down across the middle, and
adding a certain portion to her length. This is done by sawing her
planks asunder in different parts of her length, on each side of the
midship-frame, to prevent her from being weakened too much in one place.
One end is then drawn apart to the required distance. An intermediate
piece of timber is next added to the keel, and the vacancy filled up.
The two parts of the keelson are afterwards united. Finally, the planks
of the side are prolonged, so as to unite with each other, and those of
the ceiling refitted.

LENGTHENING-PIECE. The same as _short top-timber_ (which see).

LENS. The glass of a telescope, or of a microscope, with curved surfaces
like a lentil, whence the name.

LENT. The spring fast, during which butchers were prohibited to kill
flesh unless for victualling ships, except by special license.

LENTRIAE. Ancient small vessels, used on rivers.

LENUNCULI. Ancient fishing-boats.

LEO. The fifth sign of the zodiac, which the sun enters about the 22d of
July. It is one of the ancient constellations.

LEPPO. A sort of chunam, used on the China station, for paying vessels.

LERRICK. A name of the water-bird also called sand-lark or sand-piper.

LESSER CIRCLE. One whose plane does not pass through the centre of the
sphere, and therefore divides it unequally. (_See_ GREAT CIRCLE.)

LET DRAW! The order to let the wind take the after-leeches of the jibs,
&c., over to the lee-side, while tacking.

LET DRIVE, TO. To slip or let fly. To discharge, as a shot from a gun.

LET FALL! The order to drop a sail loosed from its gaskets, in order to
set it.

LET FLY, TO. To let go a rope at once, suddenly.

LET GO AND HAUL! OR AFORE HAUL! The order to haul the head-yards round
by the braces when the ship casts on the other tack. "Let go," alluding
to the fore-bowline and lee head-braces.

LET GO UNDER FOOT. _See_ UNDER FOOT.

LET IN, TO. To fix or fit a diminished part of one plank or piece of
timber into a score formed in another to receive it, as the ends of the
carlings into the beams.

LET OUT, OR SHAKE OUT, A REEF, TO. To increase the dimensions of a sail,
b