ABJURATION. The oath taken till lately by all officers on receiving their commission, by which they abjured any claim of the Stuarts to the throne, the power of the Pope, and the Romish religion. ABLE. A term not simply expressive of strong faculties, but as acquainted with and equal to perform the expected duty.--_Able seaman_, a thorough or regular bred sailor. (_See_ A.B.)--_Able-bodied_, sound, healthy, and fit for the Royal service. ABLE-WHACKETS. A popular sea-game with cards, wherein the loser is beaten over the palms of the hands with a handkerchief tightly twisted like a rope. Very popular with horny-fisted salts. ABOARD. Inside or upon a ship; the act of residing afloat; to hug the land in approaching the shore.--_To fall aboard of_, is for one vessel to run foul of another.--_To haul the tacks aboard_, is to bring their weather clues down to the chess-tree, or literally, to set the courses.--_To lay an enemy aboard_, to run into or alongside. ABODE. Waited for; as, ship ran to the appointed place of rendezvous and _abode_ there for her consort. ABORD. An Anglo-Saxon term, meaning across, from shore to shore, of a port or river. ABOUT. Circularly; the situation of a ship after she has gone round, and trimmed sails on the opposite tack.--_Ready about!_ and _About-ship!_ are orders to the ship's company to prepare for tacking by being at their stations. ABOVE-BOARD. Over the deck; a term used for open fair dealing, without artifice or trick. ABOX. A word used in veering for _aback_, alluding to the situation of the head-yards in paying off. (_See_ BRACE ABACK.)--_Lay the head-yards abox_--in former times, and even at present, many good seamen prefer to lay the head-yards square, or abox, to heave-to. It brings the vessel more under command for sudden evolution, wearing, or staying. ABRAHAM-MEN. A cant term for vagabonds, who formerly begged about under pretence of having been discharged destitute from ships and hospitals; whence an idle malingerer wanting to enter the doctor's list is said to "sham Abraham." From a ward in Bedlam which was appropriated for the reception of idiots, which was named Abraham: it is a very old term, and was cited by Burton in the _Anatomy of Melancholy_ so far back as 1621. ABRASE, TO. To dubb or smooth planks. ABRASION. The rubbing off or wearing away of the parts of a rock, or of the soil, by the impinging and friction of other bodies. ABREAST. Side by side, parallel, or opposite to; generally used in opposition to _abaft_ or _afore_.--_Line abreast_ means a fleet advancing or retreating uniformly on a line parallel with the beam.--_Abreast of a place_, is directly off it; a direction at right angles with the keel or ship's length. In the army the term was formerly used for any number of men in front; but at present they are determined by files.--_Abreast._ Within-board, signifies on a parallel with the beam. ABRID. A pintle-plate.