topsail
schooner.

TOPSAIL-SHEET BITTS. Standing bitt-heads through which the
topsail-sheets lead, and to which they are belayed.

TOP-SAWYER. The leading man in any undertaking. One who excels; inasmuch
as the man of most intellect guides the saw, and No. 2 gets the sawdust
in his face.

TOP-SIDE. All that part of a ship's side which is above the main-wales:
that is, those strakes between the sheer-strake and upper black-strake.

TOP-SWIVEL. Once a favourite arm for ships' tops, but from the confined
space and elevation rather an encumbrance than a useful addition.

TOP-TACKLE. A large tackle, or properly pendant, hooked to the lower end
of the top-mast top-rope, and to the deck, in order to increase the
mechanical power in lifting the top-mast in order to fid it. It is
composed of two strong iron-bound double or triple blocks, the hooks of
which work on a swivel.

TOP-TACKLE PENDANT. The pendant used with the above. The top-mast is
swayed up by a top-rope or hawser. The pendant, which is of better
material, and hawser-laid, has an eye and thimble spliced in one end,
and is pointed at the other. This pendant is barely long enough to
lower the top-mast temporarily in bad weather, and when the top-mast is
high enough for fidding, the purchase is block and block, and cannot
lift it higher. (_See_ TOP-ROPE.)

TOP THE GLIM, TO. To snuff the candle.

TOP THE OFFICER, TO. To arrogate superiority.

TOP-TIMBER BREADTH. The distance between the upper part of the same
timber and the middle line.

TOP-TIMBER HOLLOW. A name sometimes given to the back sweep which forms
the upper part of the top-timber.

TOP-TIMBERS. The first general tier which reach the top are called long
top-timbers, and those below short top-timbers.

TOP YOUR BOOM. _See_ BOOM.

TOR. A high rock or peak: also a tower, thus retaining the same meaning
it had, as _torr_, with the Anglo-Saxons.

TORMENTER. The large two-pronged iron fork used by the ship's cook, to
fish out the cooked meat from the copper.

TORMENTUM. A pistol; a gun; a piece of ordnance.

TORNADO. A peculiar squall, accompanied with rain and lightning, similar
in suddenness to the white squall of the West Indies, and experienced
off the equatorial region of the west coast of Africa between December
and June. It appears first as a small black spot in the east, and barely
affords time to put the ship before the wind and clue up all. The wind
veers round the compass, and lasts a