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AMIDSHIPS: in the middle

or center of a ship
The superstructure is
located amidships.

AMPHIBIOUS: ability to
operate both on land and
water
Amphibious tanks went
ashore before troops.

ANCHOR: a heavy object

lowered into the water to
keep a ship from drifting.
They dropped the anchor
where the ship was out of
range of the guns on shore.
ANCHOR:
to
drop
de
anchor or tie the ship to
something.
They anchored the ship to
the pier while they loaded
supplies.
ANTIAIRCRAFT: ground-or
ship-based weapons used
against aircraft.
The airplane was shot down
by antiaircraft guns.

ASHORE: on land, off the

base or station, on liberty.
The sailors like to go ashore
when the ship is in port.

ABANDON SHIP: order for

all on board to leave the
ship.
The captain ordered the
crew abandon ship just
after the torpedo struck the
destroyer

ABOARD: on or in a vessel
base or station.
All hands were aboard and
the ship was ready to sail.
Welcome aboard

ADMIRAL: naval officer

rank equal to general.
The Admiral commands a
fleet of ships

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AFLOAT: staying on the

surface of the water without
help from other objects.
The lifeboats remained
afloat until the sailors were
rescued.

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AFT: toward the rear or the

stern of a ship.
His quarters were aft.

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AIRCRAFT CARRIER: a
ship that carriers aircraft
and servers as their base.
The flight deck on an
aircraft carrier is large and
flat so that planes may take
off and land on it.

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ASTERN: to the rear or

behind the ship
The ship pulled the
damaged vessel astern.

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AYE, AYE, SIR: an answer

to a command or order
meaning yes
Aye, aye, sir, at once.

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BARRACKS: housing for

military personnel
Most military personnel live
in barracks.

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BATTLESHIP: one of a
class of large warships with
heavy armor and big guns.
The Missouri was the last
battleship built by the U.S.
Navy.

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BAY: a wide extension of

water from a sea or lake
into the land.
The ship sailed into the bay
and dropped anchor.

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BEACHHEAD: land next to

water, taken and held by
attacking forces
We took a beachhead on
the island.

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BEAM (OF SHIP): the

width of a ship
The beam of the ship is 95
feet.

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BELL: a signal every half

hour to mark the periods of
the watch
The watch ends at eight
bells.

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BELLOW: on a lower deck

The men carried the
supplies below.

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BOATSWAIN: the man in

charge of the deck crew
The boatswain had the
sailors swab the deck.

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BOW: the front end of a

ship
The waves came over the
bow of the ship.

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BREACK OPEN: To make

new equipment available for
use
The working party could not
start because the boatswain
had not broken open the
new supplies.