navyn.adj.
/ˈneɪvi/, U.S. /ˈneɪvi/ A. n.† 1. † 4. Control or dominion over the sea. Obsolete. rare.
a. As a mass noun: ships collectively, shipping; number of ships. Obsolete.
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > [noun] > collectively
navya1375
navire1429
vessel1436
navinc1480
navigation?1589
shipping1591
water carriage1612
tonnage1633
craft1644
marine1669
a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) 2719 (MED) A gret number of naueye to þat hauen longet.
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) iv. 80 (MED) Eneas..With gret navie, which he ladde Fro Troie, aryveth at Cartage.
?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) ii. 24 (MED) A duke..aryued on þis lond with fulle grete nauie.
c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer Legend Good Women 960 He sayled in the salte se..With shipes sevene and with no more navye.
?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) 4789 (MED) In his tyme come ouer þe se A paynyme kyng with grete naue.
a1500 Warkworth's Chron. (1839) 17 Quene Marget..hade nauy to brynge them to Englonde.
a1522 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid (1957) iii. i. 12 Schippis we graith and navy reddy maid.
1581 A. Hall tr. Homer 10 Bks. Iliades ii. 38 The Rhodians they in number great with him to nauie ranne.
b. A ship. Obsolete.
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessel propelled by sail > [noun] > vessel with specific number of masts > types of vessel with three masts > ship
shipc725
navya1382
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) 2 Paralip. ii. 16 Wee forsoþe hewen þe trees from þe wode..& wee schuln applien hem in nauees [a1425 L.V. schippis; L. ratibus] bi þe se in to Joppe.
a1400 Siege Jerusalem (Laud) (1932) 58 Nathannys naue a-non on norþ dryueþ.
c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) i. 546 (MED) Þis boke doth vs specifye, How it be-fel forth of þis navie [sc. the Argo].
a1500 Partenay (Trin. Cambr.) 5673 (MED) The kyng issued fro his nauee bliue.
c. by navy: by ship; by sea. Cf. navin n. 2. Obsolete. rare.
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?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 181 (MED) Noman may passe þat see be navye, ne be no maner of craft.
c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) Prol. 329 (MED) He [sc. Cornelius] lefte moche be-hynde Of the story..how thei [sc. the Greeks] come by lond or by navie.
2. † c. A seaborne army or military land force. Obsolete.
a. A number of ships collected together, esp. for purposes of war; a fleet. Now chiefly literary.
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society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > navy > a naval force or fleet > [noun]
fleeta1000
floteOE
ship-ferda1122
navya1382
armyc1475
armada1533
class1596
naval1627
armadilla1685
Grand Fleet1696
armament1698
maritime power1711
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) 3 Esdras v. 55 Þey ȝeuyn carrys to sidonyes & to tyres þat þei shulden carien ouer to þem fro liban woode cedre bemys & maken a naue [L. rates] in to Joppe hauene.
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 343 In a naueye of þre score schippes and tweie.
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. 1171 (MED) Al prively thei [sc. the Greeks] gon to londe Ful armed out of the navie.
?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) i. 2146 A grete nauye he gert dyght.
a1500 (?c1450) Merlin 378 (MED) Sir Gawein..assembled a grete navie.
a1533 Ld. Berners tr. A. de Guevara Golden Bk. M. Aurelius (1546) sig. K.v A great nauy of warre, to the numbre of c. and .xxx. ships.
a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) ii. vii. sig. S3v The traiterous Sea began to swell in pride against the afflicted Nauie.
1626 J. Smith Accidence Young Sea-men 26 Betweene two Navies they use often..to fill olde Barkes with pitch, tar.
1659 in England's Conf. 8 No person shall have..any Command..in any of the Armies or Navyes of England.
1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey II. viii. 550 From the shores the winged navy flies.
1777 E. Burke Let. to Marq. Rockingham in Wks. IX. 167 We set our faces against great armies..and navies, who have tasted of civil spoil.
1817 P. B. Shelley Laon & Cythna x. iv. 214 The sea shook with their Navies' sound.
1858 M. Oliphant Laird of Norlaw I. 279 The masts were in forests, the ships in navies.
1895 K. Grahame Golden Age 52 The pond itself stretched out into a vast inland sea, whereon a navy might ride secure.
1915 V. Woolf Voy. Out iv. 67 ‘You're not to think about those guns,’ said Clarissa..‘or about navies, or empires, or anything.’
1990 D. McIntosh Visits 113 We dug the coal burned by all those navies and convoys.
b. In a navy of ships (also galleys). Now rare.
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a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) ii. 1128 Wher that a gret Navye lay Of Schipes.
?a1425 Mandeville's Trav. (Egerton) (1889) 104 (MED) In þe whilk citee es a grete nauee of schippez.
c1475 (?c1451) Bk. Noblesse (Royal) (1860) 15 (MED) The seyd towne was beseged by the Frenshe partye by lond and also by see, wyth a grete navye of carekys, galeyes, and shyppis off Spayne.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Dan. xi. F With a greate nauy of shippes.
1584 H. Llwyd & D. Powel Hist. Cambria 38 Alfred lost a great Nauie of Ships.
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary i. 97 The Roman Navie of Gallies.
1664 J. Dryden Rival Ladies iv. iii. (heading) Through a Rock is discover'd a Navy of Ships Riding at a distance.
1811 J. Cottle Fall of Cambria (ed. 2) I. ii. 33 At length he incountered a small navy of ships.
1948 R. Jeffers Double Axe 140 Forty thousand men's labor and a navy of ships, to spring a squib Over Bikini lagoon.
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society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > navy > [noun]
navyc1425
navy1540
admiraltya1626
c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) ii. 5102 (MED) So gret noumbre..Is nat remembrid of no maner man, Þat to-gidre in a companye Was met y-fere, so passyng a navye Of manly men.
?c1450 Brut (Trin. Cambr.) (1908) 484 (MED) The Kyng..ordeyned hym with a grete Navy of peple, of lordes, knyghtes, Squyers, men of armes and archers.
a1500 (?c1450) Merlin 644 (MED) Than was the navie appereiled and entred in to shippes.
a1558 H. Watson tr. Valentine & Orson (1937) lii. 199 Orson..hadde passed the see with a great nauie of men of armes.
3.
a. Now frequently with the. Also with capital initial. The whole body of warships belonging to a ruler, state, or nation; (now usually) spec. a regularly organized and maintained naval force, esp. considered as comprising ships, personnel, maintenance systems, equipment, etc. Also (frequently applied to the English (historical) or British navy): the king's (also queen's) navy, †the navy royal, and also Royal Navy n. at royal adj. and n. Compounds 1. Cf. merchant navy n.This sense originated as a spec. use of sense A. 2a; early examples cannot always be discriminated clearly, as the evolution of standing as opposed to temporarily constituted naval forces occurred gradually through the Middle Ages.
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society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > navy > [noun] > the British navy
the king's (also queen's) navya1382
Royal Navy1583
the navy royal1601
the fleet1712
RN?1791
the senior service1899
silent service1904
society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > navy > [noun]
navyc1425
navy1540
admiraltya1626
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) 3 Kings x. 22 Þe naue of þe kyng bi þe se..ones bi þre ȝeer wente in to tarsis bryngynge þennes gold & siluer.
1435 Rolls of Parl. IV. 493/1 Bannyng [of English merchants] hath be, and is like to be, grete hurt to our soverain Lord, and to his Navye, and to al his Royaume.
1443 T. Bekington Let. in G. Williams Mem. Reign Henry VI (1872) II. 238 (MED) He was kept stille with thadmiral of thEnglish nauvie.
a1475 J. Fortescue Governance of Eng. (Laud) (1885) 123 (MED) With owt thaym all the kynges navey shallnot suffice to borde with carrikkes and oþer grete vessailles.
1483 in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. (1827) 2nd Ser. I. 158 The king shuld have a Navie upon the see, to shewe himself as a king.
a1513 R. Fabyan New Cronycles Eng. & Fraunce (1516) I. clxxxxvii. f. cxix Elfricus that than was mayster or Admyrall of the kynges Nauy.
1540 Act 32 Hen. VIII c. 14 The nauy..is..a great defence and surete of this realme in tyme of warre, as well to offende as defende.
1565 Act 8 Eliz. I c. 13 §1 The Maister, wardens, and Assystauntes of the Trinitiehouse..charged with the conduction of the Queenes Maiesties Nauie royall.
1601 R. Johnson tr. G. Botero Trauellers Breuiat 16 As touching their sea-forces (besides the Nauie Royall).
1648 A. Burrell Cordial Calenture 5 The Officers of the Navie did delusively cause Seaven great Frigots to be built.
1698 T. Savery Navigation Improv'd 8 I shew'd a Draught..to the Lords of the Admiralty... I was referred from them to the Commissioners of the Navy.
1702 T. Yalden Æsop at Court xii. 32 The Brittish Oaks our Nations Strength, and Pride, With which Triumphant o'er the Main we Ride: Insulting Foes are by our Navey's aw'd, A Guard at home, our dreaded Power abroad.
1719 W. Wood Surv. Trade (ed. 2) 55 The Tonnage of our Navy-Royal.
1765 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. I. 408 The executive power, which is limited so properly with regard to the navy.
1814 J. Austen Mansfield Park I. xi. 227 ‘It is the same sort of thing,’ said Fanny..‘as for the son of an admiral to go into the navy .’ View more context for this quotation
1840 Penny Cycl. XVI. 117/1 Alfred the Great was the founder of the English navy.
1878 W. S. Gilbert H.M.S. Pinafore i. 10 I polished up that handle so carefullee That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!
1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 819/2 The Federal navy had settled down to its..task of..hindering the creation of a Confederate navy.
1940 E. C. Shepherd Britain's Air Power 7 The Navy has its own air arm designed to work with the ships of the Fleet.
1963 Times 5 June 1/7 From..Plymouth..down long centuries sturdy men..have set sail in the proud ships of the Queen's Navee.
1981 Times 7 Apr. 6/7 The Russians..are keeping a weathereye on other navies.
2001 Pop. Sci. June 44/3 One reason the Navy is in the forefront is because the 1987..Treaty prohibits the United States and Russia from deploying some land-based cruise missiles, but there are no restrictions on sea-based systems.
b. With plural or singular agreement. Naval personnel collectively; a naval force considered as the totality of the people serving in it.
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society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > navy > [noun] > officers and sailors of the navy
navy1648
naval1836
boys in blue1943
1648 in S. R. Gardiner Hamilton Papers (1880) 188 This is certaine that all the Nauy is discontented and wauering.
1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine Navy is also the collective body of officers employed in his majesty's sea-service.
a1817 J. Austen Persuasion (1818) III. iii. 41 The navy..have at least an equal claim with any other set of men, for all the comforts..which any home can give. View more context for this quotation
1844 J. H. Stocqueler Hand-bk. India 130 The Indian navy now consists of 150 officers.
1909 Daily Chron. 14 June 6/4 This scare language hurt the feelings of the Navy.
1949 Dict. National Biogr. 1931–40 594/1 Fisher had already named Madden..‘one of the five best brains in the navy’.
1991 Newsweek 28 Jan. 62/2 The Navy made do with ingenuity, baling wire and grit.
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society > authority > rule or government > rule over the sea > [noun]
navya1500
trident1638
thalattocracy1839
thalassocracy1846
a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Lamb.) 151 (MED) O Alexandyr, the myghty Emperoure, make we vs a merroure, For hym myght not Suffice the brede of the worlde, the nauy of the See, of all to be lorde.
1610 J. Healey tr. J. L. Vives in tr. St. Augustine Citie of God iv. x. 166 Ioue got the East, resembling Heauen,..Neptune had the nauy.
5. † a. Probably: a type of sword used in the navy. Obsolete. rare.
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society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > naval weapons and equipment > [noun] > knives and swords
navy1777
boarding knife1807
boarding-brand1814
society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > sharp weapon > side arms > sword > [noun] > navy sword
navy1777
boarding-brand1814
1777 Wayne in St. Clair Papers (1882) I. 388 Lieutenant Henry defended himself with great bravery.., dangerously wounding two of the Indians with his navy.
b. U.S. colloquial. A .36 calibre revolver, first manufactured by Colt in 1851 and issued to U.S. navy and army personnel until the 1860s. Cf. navy revolver n. at Compounds 2. Now historical and rare.The same revolver was issued to British forces as the ‘Army & Navy Pistol’.
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society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > firearm > small-arm > [noun] > pistol > revolver > types of
six-shooter1844
five-shooter1848
belt revolver1853
six-shooting1858
pepperbox1861
service revolver1864
navy1867
six chamber1877
forty-five1881
pepper castor1889
hip revolver1897
six-gun1912
six chamber revolver1922
police special1935
thirty-two1942
thirty-eight1953
1867 Harper's Mag. June 131/1 Judge put hand under pillow, drew out ‘navy’, and fired—through a looking-glass!
1875 ‘M. Twain’ Sketches New & Old 122 She turned on that smirking Spanish fool like a wild cat, and out with a ‘navy’ and shot him dead in open court.
1931 G. F. Willison Here they dug Gold 92 Early boom towns and mining camps generally prefer the Colt ‘Navy’ (·36).
1968 R. F. Adams Western Words (ed. 2) 204 Navy, a westerner's term for the Navy Colt revolver.
1976 J. G. Rosa Col. Colt The bulk of the London production seems to have been sold to the British Government, but at least 6,000 Navies were sold to the public.
c. U.S. colloquial. A type of tobacco formerly used esp. in the navy (cf. Navy Cut n., navy plug n. at Compounds 2). Also: a discarded cigarette end, etc., esp. one picked up for reuse; such cigarette ends collectively. Now historical and rare.
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the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > tobacco > [noun] > made from cigarette ends
hard up1851
navy1872
the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > tobacco > [noun] > types of plug tobacco
negrohead1809
niggerhead1843
navy plug1867
navy1872
1872 Kansas Mag. 177/1 Another pull at the bottle,..a chaw of navy, and the repast is finished.
1889 J. W. Riley Pipes o' Pan 40 I draw my plug o' navy, and I climb the fence.
1926 Amer. Speech 1 652/1 Navy, cigar end or ‘butts’ found on side-walk.
1934 Amer. Ballads & Folk Songs 383 The higher you pitch, the sweeter my navy tastes.
1960 H. Wentworth & S. B. Flexner Dict. Amer. Slang 351/2 Navy,..a cigar end or butt found on a side walk.
d. British Navy slang. Rum of the kind formerly issued to naval personnel; a ration of this. rare. Now historical.
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the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > distilled drink > rum > [noun] > kinds of rum
Jamaica1775
white rum1816
New England1827
black jack1863
dark rum1864
black rum1872
light rum1872
Nelson's blood1905
Bacardi1921
pinga1928
navy1946
screech1946
anejo1983
1946 J. Irving Royal Navalese 121 Navy,..a sobriquet for the rum-ration—e.g., ‘I'll trade my Navy for a turn out of watch!’
1962 W. Granville Dict. Sailors' Slang 80/1 Navy, tot of, measure of Navy rum offered to a guest by one who has saved his ration for some special occasion.
6. = navy blue n.
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the world > matter > colour > named colours > blue or blueness > [noun] > dark blue
bicec1430
navy blue1780
marine blue1803
midnight blue1810
Adelaide1831
Oxford blue1842
butcher's blue1851
gros bleu1870
marine1871
gendarme blue1884
navy1884
butcher1892
matelot1927
1884 Christian World 17 Jan. 52/1 Brocaded Plush to match in Navy.
1896 Westm. Gaz. 2 July 4/3 A green fabric with white foulard figured in navy, and navy ribbon velvet.
1921 Daily Colonist (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) 18 Oct. 3/7 (advt.) St. Margaret Kiltie Dresses for girls 2 to 10 years, in navy, brown, saxe and green, [etc.].
1950 ‘P. Wentworth’ Brading Coll. xv. 94 Most of the time she wore blue..Navy, or butcher.
1994 Observer 2 Jan. 6/2 We've got a very punchy raspberry, and a very chic navy.
B. adj.
= navy blue adj.
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the world > matter > colour > named colours > blue or blueness > [adjective] > dark blue
blewebis1330
sloe-blue1795
Oxford blue1856
navy blue1859
coal blue1861
marine blue1873
lead-blue1882
navy1896
1896 Westm. Gaz. 2 July 4/3 A green fabric with white foulard figured in navy, and navy ribbon velvet.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. xiii. [Nausicaa] 335 A neat blouse of electric blue,..and a navy threequarter skirt cut to the strideshowed off her slim graceful figure.
1975 New Yorker 18 Apr. 31/3 Both..were wearing warmup suits (his navy, hers yellow).
1995 N.Y. Times 24 Jan. b 6/5 A navy polka-dot dress had a white beaded bra top, set off by a tiny bolero jacket molded to the shoulders.
Compounds
C1.
a. General attributive.† navy debt n. Obsolete† navy fleet n. Obsolete rare† navy washing mill n. Obsolete rare
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1736 T. Lediard Life Marlborough III. 120 It was judg'd more convenient, and concduiue to the Publick Good, to let the Navy-Debt run on.
1769 E. Burke Observ. Late State Nation 21 Only..the Exchequer bills, and part of the Navy debt, carried any interest.
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1693 N. Luttrell Diary in Brief Hist. Relation State Affairs (1857) III. 53 Most of the seamen..are taken out to serve on board the navy fleet.
navy-man n.
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society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > seafaring warrior or naval man > [noun]
water?1570
man-of-war1599
navy-man1679
man-of-war's-man1745
blue jacket1776
ocean-warrior1801
blue1806
web foot1846
gobby1883
nautic1909
1679 S. Pepys Corr. (1879) V. 301 As old as Navyman as I am.
1757 W. Thompson Royal Navy-men's Advocate 38 The..barbarous..lavishing away the Lives of the poor Navy Men.
1892 R. L. Stevenson & L. Osbourne Wrecker xix. 293 The stranger was an English navy man invalided home from Honolulu, where he had left his ship.
1994 Canad. Yachting Summer 29/1 Uruguay Natural's 16-man crew comprises equal parts professional sailors and career navymen.
navy officer n.
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1690 S. Pepys Mem. Royal Navy (1906) 14 The Navy-Officers still demand for the Repairs of the Fleet the very same Sum the Works had by themselves been valu'd at.
1814 J. Austen Mansfield Park III. x. 196 He..had accidentally met with a navy officer or two of his acquaintance. View more context for this quotation
1991 Times Educ. Suppl. 25 Jan. 25/1 The Adult Orphan Institution..had been founded in 1820 to educate the daughters of Army and Navy officers and the clergy to be governesses.
navy service n.
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1781 J. Hanway Rules & Regulations Maritime Service x. 31 In order to render a scholar expert, and to enjoy the privilege of part of his qualification in the navy-service.., it will be for the common interest that scholars should be retained for at least two years.
1855 Harper's Mag. Dec. 121 Whether the postal system is to be reconstructed, or steam-vessels introduced into navy service..the leader of opinion springs up among the masses.
1907 Amer. Jrnl. Sociol. 13 32 The education of the young men and women of the working classes and of the men of the army and navy service has also been the subject of careful study.
1989 F. Saunders-Veness Oh! Sister (BNC) 48 I joined the local ARP Services, and as my husband had not been considered fit for Navy service yet, he did too.
navy ship n.
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1648 R. Rich Let. from Navy 6 This Ship is called the Satisfaction, a Navy-ship of 28 Guns.
1841 Amer. Railroad Jrnl. 1 Nov. 285 It is charged that the ‘navy ships will cost upwards of $900,000 each’.
1995 Clean Ships, Clean Ports, Clean Oceans ii. 46 Navy vessels typically carry much larger crews than do merchant ships (Navy ships also may carry troops).
navy surgeon n.
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a1776 R. James Diss. Fevers (1778) 42 For the sake..of the navy-surgeons, and those committed to their care.
1843 R. J. Graves Syst. Clin. Med. xi. 118 [Salivation] has been also very extensively recommended by army and navy surgeons, in the treatment of tropical fevers.
2001 Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald (Nexis) 20 June 18 He was able to masquerade as..a Trappist monk, a deputy prison warden and even a Canadian Navy surgeon.
navy wall n.
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society > travel > travel by water > berthing, mooring, or anchoring > harbour or port > [noun] > harbour wall
navy wall1717
1717 A. Pope tr. Homer Iliad III. x. 145 [They] Prepare to meet us near the Navy-wall.
1830–7 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 3 31 A large block of stone resting on the brick-work of the navy wall.
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1799 Hull Advert. 15 June 2/4 Mr. Beetham's patent Navy Washing Mills.
b. Designating articles supplied to the navy.† navy bread n. Obsolete
navy biscuit n.
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1804 in Catal. Prints: Polit. & Personal Satires (Brit. Mus.) (1947) VIII. 257 If it had not been for these Navy Biscuits I should have given it in before this.
1867 ‘T. Lackland’ Homespun ii. 216 The people not only want the Word, but they want it as hard and dry as a navy biscuit.
1998 Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.) (Nexis) 25 Oct. (Portsmouth Currents section) 2 There's an interesting discussion of Navy biscuits..the bread taken to sea in the days before refrigeration.
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1801 in Naval Documents U.S. Wars Barbary Powers (U.S. Office Naval Rec.) (1939) I. 512 Be pleased to ship immediately..six to eight hundred Barrels Navy Bread.
1831 Constellation 54/1 Ephraim Treadwell..has for sale..Pilot and Navy Bread.
1863 Sci. Amer. 22 Aug. 120 The hard tack of the army I have found..the worst substance to chew... Sea biscuit and navy bread are pulpy in comparison.
navy jacket n.
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1840 C. Mathews Politicians ii. i. 30 He..had boasted out of doors he could and would save his life with a word as easily as hem-stitch a navy-jacket!
2000 News & Observer (Raleigh, N. Carolina) (Nexis) 23 July (Travel section) p. H1 Impeccably dressed in a navy jacket with gleaming brass buttons, my ‘officer and gentleman’ is not only good-looking but articulate and courteous.
C2.
navy agent n. a person or firm responsible for managing the financial affairs of naval officers; (formerly also) †a paymaster or purser in the U.S. navy (obsolete).
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society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > seafaring warrior or naval man > naval officials > [noun] > agents
navy agent1765
prize agent1766
society > authority > delegated authority > one having delegated or derived authority > [noun] > one who acts for another > for naval officers
navy agent1765
1765 Lloyd's Evening Post 17 May This morning a duel was fought in Hyde-Park, between a Purser of one of his Majesty's ships and a Navy Agent.
1795 R. Cumberland First Love i. i. 5 I have a friend..my navy agent, Billy Bustler by name.
1814 Navy List 106 List of Licensed Navy Agents.
1846 J. K. Polk Diary 19 Mar. (1929) I. 293 Received notes..requesting me to withhold the Commission of Mr. Isaac H. Wright as Navy Agent of Boston.
1860 H. R. Rep. 36th U.S. Congr. 1 Session No. 621. 21 When articles are needed not embraced in a contract a requisition is made out by the master workman..and sent to the navy agent.
1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. 494 Navy Agents, selected mercantile houses,..who manage the affairs of officers' pay, prizes, &c.
1993 Gulf Daily News (Nexis) 20 Jan. Twenty US Navy representatives and 20 navy agents and contractors in the region attended a two-day US Navy fleet support conference.
navy bill n. now historical a promissory note or bill issued by the Navy Board instead of cash payment; (also) a promissory note drawn by a naval officer on the Admiralty (formerly the Navy Board).
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society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > paper money > promissory notes or bills of exchange > [noun] > other promissory notes or bills
warrant1433
assignmentc1460
policy1623
navy bill1679
redraft1682
tally of pro1691
bank bill1694
bank seal bill1696
chequer-bill1697
assignation1704
chequer-note1705
mint bill1707
transport debenture1707
transport-bill1710
loan-bill1722
treasury note1756
tin bill1778
treasury-bill1798
rescription1800
short bill1808
treasury-warrant1834
sight bill1853
short-paper1912
treasuries1922
T.B.1936
T.D.R.1948
T-Bill1982
1679–88 in J. Y. Akerman Moneys Secret Services Charles II & James II (1851) 28 To compleat 1,477li 2s on a Navy bill due to him and owners of the shipp Leister.
1708 London Gaz. No. 4496/4 Lost or Mislaid,..two Navy Bills.
1877 Appletons' Jrnl. Oct. 356 Ashore, he was..robbed, when he was paid off by a navy-bill, and fell into the hands of the pay-agents.
1977 Jrnl. Econ. Hist. 37 30 These are prices of goods being paid for by Navy bills, not cash.
navy board n. (also Navy Board) (a) an administrative board of the British Navy (merged with the Admiralty in 1832); the Lords Commissioner of the Navy (now historical); (b) an administrative board in charge of U.S. naval affairs; the board of commissioners in the U.S. Navy Department (now historical); (c) (more generally) the governing body of any navy, the members of such a body considered collectively.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > administration and ceremonial > [noun] > Admiralty
admiralty1459
navy board1681
Navy Department1779
minister of marine1782
society > authority > rule or government > ruler or governor > a or the government > government department or agency > [noun] > with specific responsibility > English or British
admiralty1459
ordnance1485
Navy Office1660
navy board1681
patent office1696
excise-office1698
Treasury Office1706
Plantation Office1708
stamp office1710
War Office1721
India Office1787
home office1795
Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues1803
the Stamps1820
Welsh Office1852
W.O.1860
Local Government Board1871
pall-mall1880
Scottish Office1883
Ministry of Munitions1915
War House1925
Min of Ag1946
Mintech1967
DOE1972
Manpower Services Commission1973
1681 J. Evelyn Let. 6 Dec. in S. Pepys Private Corr. (1926) I. 16 I know it has ben wondered upon what pretence I should have sought to sit at the Navy-board.
1777 J. Adams Wks. (1854) IX. 464 I had the boldness to make a motion that a navy board should be established at Boston.
1872 Harper's Mag. Dec. 94/1 For years the old Navy Board controlled the service in every respect.
1972 P. O'Brian Post Captain vi. 165 I should not like to have the name of a..shilly-shallying, missish ‘son of a bitch’ at the Navy Board.
1995 Oxf. Illustr. Hist. Royal Navy 121 The Commissioners of the Navy (the Navy Board) continued to bear the main burden of naval administration.
navy book n. (usually in plural) †(a) an official record giving biographical and professional information concerning the employees of a navy (obsolete); (b) an official listing of the officers and other ratings of a naval ship; cf. navy register n.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > administration and ceremonial > [noun] > account books
navy book1758
1758 Let. to Mayor wherein Discouragem. of Seamen are Examined 7 Such Payment being requisite to be made..by Clerks possessed of the proper Navy-Books.
1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine at Ordinary The term ordinary..is likewise used to distinguish the inferior sailors from the more expert... The latter are rated able on the navy-books.
1858 Littell's Living Age 13 Mar. 645 He [sc. Smollett] was back in England and his name removed from the Navy Books by the early part of 1744.
1898 Dict. National Biogr. LIII. 175/1 Smollett seems to have removed his name from the navy books in May 1744.
1999 Tampa (Florida) Tribune (Nexis) 26 Aug. 4 (heading) Navy books in disarray.
navy bullet n. historical rare a .36 calibre bullet for use in a navy revolver.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > missile > ammunition for firearms > [noun] > bullet or shell > bullet > types of bullet
pistol bullet?1591
musket bullet1598
musket ball1637
silver bullet1648
three-o(h)-three1683
pistol ball1689
musket shot1755
Biscayen1812
picket1848
rifle bolt1849
Minié ball1851
Minié1852
expanding bullet1859
navy bullet1873
two-two1895
dum-dum1897
Lee-Enfield bullet1899
rubber bullet1900
full-metal-jacket1913
round-nose1932
thirty-two1942
plastic bullet1945
baton round1968
1873 J. Miller Life amongst Modocs 312 Was it possible that this man..could still live with a navy bullet through his body fired at two feet distance.
navy catapult n. rare a mechanical device for launching seaplanes or other aircraft from a ship.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > air or space travel > airfield or airport > [noun] > catapult launcher
navy catapult1914
catapult1927
1914 C. F. Tweney Dict. Naval & Mil. Terms 161 Navy Catapult, a device for launching hydro-aeroplanes from a ship by means of compressed air.
Navy cross n. U.S. Navy a military decoration established in 1919 and awarded for extraordinary heroism or (until 1942) distinguished service, but ranked below the Medal of Honor and (until 1942) the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.
ΚΠ
1919 U.S. Statutes at Large Session III. xiv. 1056 That the President be..authorized to present..a Navy cross..to any person who, while in the naval service of the United States..has distinguished..himself by extraordinary heroism.
1990 Vietnam Apr. 12/3 He was awarded the Navy Cross for the battle of Aogiri Ridge when he manhandled a 37mm howitzer singlehandedly up a hill to blast Japanese positions defending the hill mass.
Navy Cut n. a kind of tobacco (frequently in a proprietary name).
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > tobacco > [noun] > proprietary name of tobacco
Navy Cut1889
1889 Trademark Jrnl. 14 Aug. 773 Nicholls's ‘Hornpipe’ Navy Cut Flake.
1907 Yesterday's Shopping (1969) 67/3 Cigarettes... Virginia... Navy Cut, mild.
1972 ‘G. North’ Sgt. Cluff rings True i. 15 Harrison inhaled contentedly... ‘One third navy-cut, two thirds herb mixture.’
2001 Evening Post (Bristol) (Nexis) 5 June (Features section) 7 The days when the promotion of brands such as Player's ‘Navy Cut’..[was] done with all the panache of a cinema poster have long gone.
Navy Day n. an open day on which festivities are held to celebrate the naval forces of a nation; spec. (a) (in the United States) October 27, when festivities are held to celebrate the U.S. navy; (b) (in the United Kingdom) a similar event, or a public relations exercise, held at one of the major ports at varying intervals.
ΚΠ
1922 N.Y. Times 23 Oct. 28/1 Navy Day..will be celebrated next Friday, Oct. 27..wherever there are American naval vessels... Oct. 27 was chosen..because it is the birthday of Theodore Roosevelt.
1991 Britain's Gulf War 54/1 HMS Gloucester was withdrawn from her planned participation in Portsmouth ‘Navy days’ to proceed to Portland for work-up.
Navy Department n. U.S. the government department responsible for the navy (and officially controlling it until 1949 when the separate armed forces were brought under the control of the Department of Defense).
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > administration and ceremonial > [noun] > Admiralty
admiralty1459
navy board1681
Navy Department1779
minister of marine1782
society > authority > rule or government > ruler or governor > a or the government > government department or agency > [noun] > U.S. government department or agency > specific
Navy Department1779
State Department1790
Indian bureau1824
Bureau of Indian Affairs1826
department of state1890
consumer unit1933
Foggy Bottom1947
state1952
U.S.I.A.1953
Ginnie Mae1968
1779 Jrnls. Continental Congr. (U.S.) 15 1216 Congress took into consideration the report of the Marine Committee respecting the navy department.
1869 ‘M. Twain’ Innocents Abroad i. 24 However, we were to have a ‘battery of guns’ from the Navy Department..to be used in answering royal salutes.
1946 National Geographic Mag. July 38/1 The Navy Department disavows the use of ribbons, employing red or blue ‘cotton tape’ when necessary.
1993 R. Shilts Conduct Unbecoming: Lesbians & Gays in U.S. Mil. v. xl. 377 After two years at the Navy Department, he was appointed Deputy Secretary of Defense.
navy junior n. U.S. Military slang a child of a naval officer; cf. army brat at army n. Compounds 1e.
ΚΠ
1934 Proc. U.S. Naval Inst. Sept. 1236 A ‘navy junior’, he had entered the U.S. Navy as a midshipman in 1841.
1991 Jrnl. Amer. Hist. 78 1116/2 To this navy junior..Noble's monograph has the strong ring of authenticity.
Navy League n. an organization founded in 1895 in Britain with the object of arousing national interest in the Navy; a similar organization founded in 1902 in the United States.
ΚΠ
1902 Encycl. Brit. XXXI. 186/1 Some papers contributed to it [sc. the Pall Mall Gazette] by Sir Charles Dilke and Mr Spenser Wilkinson resulted in the establishment of the Navy League.
1986 Dict. National Biogr. 1971–80 807/2 He was a notable secretary of the Navy League.
Navy Leaguer n. a member of this organization or a person who sympathizes with its aims.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > seafaring warrior or naval man > [noun] > others
press-gang1693
young gentleman1784
sidesman1803
side boy1823
trouncer1867
rating1877
Navy Leaguer1898
requestman1916
tiger1929
mineman1943
shore patrolman1944
striker1944
ping1948
pinger1961
bubblehead1965
1898 Westm. Gaz. 31 Jan. 4/2 An account..which will stir the blood of navy-leaguers.
1998 Post & Courier (Charleston, S. Carolina) (Nexis) 7 Mar. b1 (heading) Marine discusses women in service with Navy Leaguers.
Navy List n. British an official publication containing a list of the officers of the British Navy and other nautical information.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > administration and ceremonial > [noun] > list of officers or sailors
muster-book1702
Navy Lista1770
prize list1782
reserved list1826
flag-list1873
inscription maritime1902
1642 (title) A list of His Majesties navie that is now setting forth for the guarding and scowring of the seas: containing the names of the ships, both the Kings and merchants, and the captains and lieutenants that go commanders in the same, Anno Dom. 1641.
1698 (title) A compleat list of the Royal Navy of England, and of the ships and vessels belonging thereunto this 31st. of December, 1697. with their rates and number of guns.]
a1770 A. Hervey Jrnl. (1953) (modernized text) 81 He..desired to see my list..and sent for a Navy-list to compare.
1803 in Catal. Prints: Polit. & Personal Satires (Brit. Mus.) (1947) VIII. 189 List of the Volunteer Corps..Navy List.
1864 R. W. Dixon Hist. Odes & Other Poems 50 (note) The Admiralty determined to remove from the Navy List the names of the officers of the Erebus and Terror.
1996 P. O'Brian Yellow Admiral i. 17 She knew perfectly well that the Navy List contained twenty-eight superannuated rear-admirals.
Navy Office n. now historical (a former name for) the Admiralty building in London.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > administration and ceremonial > [noun] > Admiralty > building
admiralty1617
Navy Office1660
society > authority > rule or government > ruler or governor > a or the government > government department or agency > [noun] > with specific responsibility > English or British
admiralty1459
ordnance1485
Navy Office1660
navy board1681
patent office1696
excise-office1698
Treasury Office1706
Plantation Office1708
stamp office1710
War Office1721
India Office1787
home office1795
Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues1803
the Stamps1820
Welsh Office1852
W.O.1860
Local Government Board1871
pall-mall1880
Scottish Office1883
Ministry of Munitions1915
War House1925
Min of Ag1946
Mintech1967
DOE1972
Manpower Services Commission1973
1660 S. Pepys Diary 9 July (1970) I. 296 To the Navy Office, where in the afternoon we met and sat.
1799 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 1 94 A fact, which may be seen by the ship's books in the Navy-office.
1853 Jrnl. Statist. Soc. 16 204 By a letter from the Navy Office..it was ordered that the salary of the second master attendant should be the same as the first master attendant's.
1993 Dict. National Biogr.: Missing Persons 471/2 He appeared before a board at the Navy Office.
navy plug n. now historical a kind of tobacco formerly issued to sailors.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > tobacco > [noun] > types of plug tobacco
negrohead1809
niggerhead1843
navy plug1867
navy1872
1867 F. Moore Anecdotes, Poetry & Incidents of War 311 The Adjutant danced about on a spirited charger..a quid of ‘navy plug’ reposing beneath his cheek.
1945 J. L. Marshall Santa Fe 67 Through the dusty streets..the tanned cowhands wandered, living according to legend, on navy plug and fortyrod..[etc.].
navy register n. U.S. an official publication containing a list of the officers of the U.S. Navy and of civil servants appointed to the Department of Defense (Navy); cf. navy book n.
ΚΠ
1841 Southern Literary Messenger 7 4/1 Statistics..furnished by the Navy Register will show [etc.].
1949 Sat. Evening Post 9 July 32/2 It's an old saw in the city that Norfolk is the mother-in-law of the Navy, with a boat hook in one hand, a Navy Register in the other, [etc.].
1996 Pittsburgh Post-Gaz. (Nexis) 4 Apr. p. A12 The four battleships..were stricken from the Navy Register.
navy revolver n. chiefly U.S. (now historical) a .36 calibre revolver (see sense A. 5b).
ΚΠ
a1861 T. Winthrop Canoe & Saddle (1883) iii. 21 This machine..is called a six-shooter, an eight-inch navy revolver.
1944 E. M. Kahn Cable Car Days 45 Gold nuggets, faro, and navy revolvers..[were] involved in the intricate problems of the Bank of California.
2001 Dallas Morning News (Nexis) 16 June p. 37A Notable weapons from the Gaines de Graffenried collection include..a .36 Colt model 1851 Navy Revolver.
Navy rum n. dark, flavourful rum of the type formerly issued to sailors of the Royal Navy.
ΚΠ
1860 Philos. Trans. 1859 (Royal Soc.) 149 727 1½ oz. of Navy rum..gave me a maximum increase in carbonic acid of .78 gr.
1991 B. Millin Invasion (BNC) 148 I..joined them for a warming meal of steak and kidney pudding, followed by a very hot mug of tea into which was placed a measure of Navy rum.
navy stroke n. now rare a style of rowing resembling that practised in the navy.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > propelling boat by oars, paddle, or pole > [noun] > rowing > style of rowing > specific
bucketing1876
navy stroke1903
1903 R. Kipling Traffics & Discov. (1904) 143 Aren't they rowing Navy-stroke, yonder?
1930 A. Ransome Swallows & Amazons xv. 159 Captain John..settled down to work, rowing steadily, navy stroke.
navy yard n. chiefly North American a government dockyard.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > shipbuilding and repairing > shipyard or boat-yard > [noun] > dockyard > naval
navy yard1772
1772 Ann. Reg. 1771 113/1 She had on board some stores..for Halifax navy-yard.
1886 Harper's Mag. Sept. 619/1 The fact of establishing a navy-yard.
1992 N.Y. Times 18 Aug. b.2/1 Instead of building an ashfill on Staten Island to contain the residue of the toxic waste from the Navy Yard, the city will export it.
Derivatives
ˈnavyless adj. rare having no navy.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > [adjective] > having no navy
navyless1863
1863 J. H. Aughey Iron Furnace 22 The weak, defenceless, navyless, armyless, moneyless..republic of Mississippi.
1884 Sir L. Griffin in Fortn. Rev. Jan. 55 The too fortunate Yankee, navyless and armyless.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.a1375