ALMANAC. A record of the days, feasts, and celestial phenomena of the year. Though confounded with calendar, it is essentially different—the latter relating to time in general, and the almanac to that of a year; but the term calendar can be properly used for a particular year. (See [Ephemeris].)
ALMATH [Hamal]. The star in Aries whence the first mansion of the moon takes its name. The Frankeleine in Chaucer says:—
"And by his eighte speres in his werking,
He knew ful wel how far Alnath was shove
Fro the hed of thilke fix Aries above,
That in the ninthe spere considered is."
ALMIRANTE. A great sea-officer or high-admiral in Spain.
ALMIRANTESA. The wife of an admiral.
ALMURY. The upright part of an astrolabe.
ALNUS CAVER. Transport-ships of the early English, so called from the wood of which they were constructed.
ALOFT [Anglo-Saxon, alofte, on high]. Above; overhead; on high. Synonymous with up above the tops, at the mast-head, or anywhere about the higher yards, masts, and rigging of ships.—Aloft there! the hailing of people in the tops.—Away aloft! the command to the people in the rigging to climb to their stations. Also, heaven: "Poor Tom is gone aloft."
ALONDE. An old English word for ashore, on land.
ALONG [Saxon]. Lengthwise.—Alongside, by the side of a ship; side by side.—Lying along, when the wind, being on the beam, presses the ship over to leeward with the press of sail; or, lying along the land.