ADMIRALTY MIDSHIPMAN. Formerly one who, having served the appointed time, and passed his examination for lieutenant, was appointed to a ship by the admiralty, and thus named in contradistinction to those who used to be rated by the captain; he generally had precedence for promotion to "acting orders."
ADONIS. An anguilliform fish, about six inches long: it is of a golden colour, with a greenish tint, and has a white line from its very small gills to the tail.
ADORNINGS. The carved work on the quarter and stern-galleries of men-of-war.
ADOWN. The bawl of privateersmen for the crew of a captured vessel to go below. Saxon, adoun.
ADREAMT. Dozing; the sensation so often combatted with towards the end of a first or a middle watch, it being the state, as an old author has it, "between sleeping and waking."
ADRENT, or Adreynte. An old term for drowned.
ADRIFT. Floating at random; the state of a boat or vessel broken from her moorings, and driven to and fro without control by the winds and waves. Cast loose; cut adrift.
ADSCRIPTS. Sometimes used for the tangents of arcs.
AD VALOREM. Duties levied on commercial goods, according to their value.
ADVANCE, To. An old word, meaning to raise to honour.