Breaker. A small cask containing water.

Breaming. Cleaning a ship's bottom by burning.

Breast-fast. A rope used to confine a vessel sideways to a wharf, or to some other vessel.

Breast-hooks. Knees placed in the forward part of a vessel, across the stem, to unite the bows on each side. (See Plate 3.)

Breast-rope. A rope passed round a man in the chains, while sounding.

Breech. The outside angle of a knee-timber. The after end of a gun.

Breeching. A strong rope used to secure the breech of a gun to the ship's side.

Bridle. Spans of rope attached to the leeches of square sails, to which the bowlines are made fast.

Bridle-port. The foremost port, used for stowing the anchors.

Brig. A square-rigged vessel, with two masts. An hermaphrodite brig has a brig's foremast and a schooner's mainmast. (See Plate 4.)