nces.

APPOINTED. Commissioned--named for a special duty.

APPOINTMENT. The equipment, ordnance, furniture, and necessaries of a
ship. Also an officer's commission. In the Army, _appointments_ usually
imply military accoutrements, such as belts, sashes, gorgets, &c.

APPORTER. A bringer into the realm.

APPRAISEMENT. A law instrument taken out by the captors of a vessel, who
are primarily answerable for the expense.

APPRENTICE. One who is covenanted to serve another on condition of being
instructed in an art, and ships' apprentices are to the same effect.
Boys under eighteen years of age bound to masters of merchant ships were
exempted from impressment for three years from the date of their
indentures; which documents were in duplicate, and exempt from stamp
duty.

APPROACHES. The trenches, zig-zags, saps, and other works, by which a
besieger makes good his way up to a fortified place. (_See_ TRENCHES.)

APPROVAL. The senior officer's signature to a demand or application.

APPROXIMATION. A continual approach to a quantity sought, where there is
no possibility of arriving at it exactly.

APPULSE. A near approach of one heavenly body to another, so as to form
an apparent contact: the term is principally used with reference to
stars or planets when the moon passes close to them without causing
occultation.

APRON, OR STOMACH-PIECE. A strengthening compass timber fayed abaft the
lower part of the stern, and above the foremost end of the keel; that
is, from the head down to the fore dead-wood knee, to which it is
scarfed. It is sided to receive the fastenings of the fore-hoods or
planking of the bow.--_Apron of a gun_, a square piece of sheet-lead
laid over the touch-hole for protecting the vent from damp; also over
the gun-lock.--_Apron of a dock_, the platform rising where the gates
are closed, and on which the sill is fastened down.

APSIDES, LINE OF. The imaginary line joining the aphelion and perihelion
points in the orbit of a planet.

APSIS. Either of the two points in planetary orbits where they are at
the greatest and the least distance from the sun, and are termed
_higher_ or _lower_ accordingly. The two are joined by a diameter called
the _line of the apsides_.

AQUAGE. The old law-term denoting the toll paid for water-carriage.

AQUARIUS. The eleventh sign in the zodiac ({a} Aquarius Sadalmelik).

AQUATIC. Inhabiting or relating to the water.

AQUATILE. An archaism for _aquatic_; thus Howell's