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| ABACK | The situation of the sails when the wind presses their surfaces against the mast, and tends to force the vessel astern. |
| ABAFT | Toward the stern of a vessel. |
| ABOARD. | Within a vessel. |
| ABOUT | On the other tack. |
| ABREAST | Alongside of. Side by side. |
| ACCOMMODATION. | See LADDER |
| A-COCK-BILL | The situation of the yards when they are topped up at an angle with the deck. The situation of an anchor when it hangs to the cathead by the ring only. |
| ADRIFT | Broken from moorings or fasts. Without Fasts. |
| AFLOAT | Resting on the surface of the water. |
| AFORE | Forward. The opposite of abaft. |
| AFT or AFTER | Near the stern. |
| AGROUND | Touching the bottom. |
| AHEAD | In the direction of the vessel's head. Wind ahead is from the direction toward which the vessel's head points. |
| A-HULL | The situation of a vessel when she lies with all her sails furled and her helm lashed a-lee. |
| A-LEE | The situation of the helm when it is put in the opposite direction from that in which the wind blows. |
| ALL-ABACK | When all the sails are aback. |
| ALL HANDS | The whole crew. |
| ALL IN THE WIND | When all the sails are shaking. |
| ALOFT | Above the deck. |
| ALOOF | At a distance. |
| AMAIN | Suddenly. At once. |
| AMIDSHIPS | In the centre of the vessel; either with reference to her length or to her breadth. |
| ANCHOR | The machine by which, when dropped to the bottom, the vessel is held fast. |
| ANCHOR-WATCH | See WATCH. |
| AN-END | When a mast is perpendicular to the deck. |
| A-PEEK | When the cable is hove taut so as to bring the vessel nearly over her anchor. The yards are a-peek when they are topped up by contrary lifts. |
| APRON | A piece of timber fixed behind the lower part of the stern [sic], just above the fore end of the keel. A covering to the vent or lock of a cannon. |
| ARM. YARD-ARM | The extremity of a yard. Also, the lower part of an anchor, crossing the shank and terminating in the flukes. |
| ARMING | A piece of tallow put in the cavity and over the bottom of a lead-line. |
| A-STERN | In the direction of the stern. The opposite of ahead. |
| A-TAUNT | See TAUNT. |
| ATHWART | Across.
Athwart-ships. Across the line of the vessel's keel. Athwart-hawse. Across the direction of a vessel's head. Across her cable. |
| ATHWART-SHIPS | Across the length of a vessel. In opposition to fore-and-aft. |
| A-TRIP | The situation of the anchor when it is raised clear of the ground. The same as a-weigh. |
| AVAST or 'VAST | An order to stop; as, "Avast heaving!" |
| A-WEATHER | The situation of the helm when it is put in the direction from which the wind blows. |
| A-WEIGH | The same as a-trip. |
| AWNING | A covering of canvass over a vessel's deck, or over a boat, to keep off sun or rain. |
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