WEAR. See [Weir].—To wear. (See [Veer].)
WEAR AND TEAR. The decay and deterioration of the hull, spars, sails, ropes, and other stores of a ship in the course of a voyage.
WEATHER [from the Anglo-Saxon wæder, the temperature of the air]. The state of the atmosphere with regard to the degree of wind, to heat and cold, or to dryness and moisture, but particularly to the first. It is a word also applied to everything lying to windward of a particular situation, hence a ship is said to have the weather-gage of another when further to windward. Thus also, when a ship under sail presents either of her sides to the wind, it is then called the weather-side, and all the rigging situated thereon is distinguished by the same epithet. It is the opposite of lee. To weather anything is to go to windward of it. The land to windward, is a weather shore.
WEATHER-ANCHOR. That lying to windward, by which a ship rides when moored.
WEATHER-BEAM. A direction at right angles with the keel, on the weather side of the ship.
WEATHER-BITT. Is that which holds the weather-cable when the ship is moored.
WEATHER-BOARD. That side of the ship which is to windward.
WEATHER-BOARDS. Pieces of plank placed in the ports of a ship when laid up in ordinary; they are in an inclined position, so as to turn off the rain without preventing the circulation of air.
WEATHER-BORNE. Pressed by wind and sea.
WEATHER-BOUND. Detained by foul winds; our forefathers used the term wæder fæst.