My Own Notes

Billy Budd, Sailor
Herman Melville

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becalm To render quiet or calm by intercepting the current of air in its passage to an object (e.g. the jib is becalmed by the foresail before the wind).

benediction 1. A blessing. 2. An invocation of divine blessing, usually at the end of a church service. 3. Roman Catholic Church--a short service consisting of prayers, the singing of a Eucharistic hymn, and the blessing of the congregation with the host.

Bentham, Jeremy and Utilitarianism Bentham (1748-1832), Englishman and founder of the philosophy of utilitarianism, thought that ideas, institutions, and actions should be judged on the basis of their usefulness or utility. Utility was defined by the ability of something to produce happiness or pleasure. Bentham championed that which ultimately produced the greatest possible amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.

berth-deck Broadly, a sleeping place in the ship, particularly, that deck that contains the sailors' hammocks.

bigoted, bigot One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ. Bigot is first recorded in English in 1598 with the sense "a superstitious hypocrite."

bluff A steep headland, promontory, riverbank, or cliff. 1. Rough and blunt but not unkind in manner. 2. Having a broad, steep front.

boatswain Usually one of the best sailors, the boatswain (pronounced “bosun”) was responsible for inspecting the ship's sails and rigging every morning. He was also in charge of all deck activities, such as dropping anchor and handling the sails. To issue orders, he piped on a silver boatswain's whistle. 

boom A long spar run out to extend the foot of a particular sail.

bow, stern The bow is the forward end of the ship, beginning on both sides where the planks arch inwards and ending where they close at the prow. The stern, on the other hand, is the rear end of the vessel.

breeching The large rope rove through the cascabel (at the base) of a gun and secured to the ship's side to limit recoil when firing.

bridge The bridge is the platform extending across the deck above the rail for the convenience of the officer in charge of the ship.

brig A brig is a two-masted vessel, square-rigged (has yards and sails set across the masts) on both masts.
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