The Sailor's Word-Book / An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc.

by W. H. Smyth

GANNY-WEDGE. A thick wooden wedge, used in splitting timber.

GANTAN. An Indian commercial measure, of which 17 make a baruth.

GANT-LINE. Synonymous with [girt-line] (which see).

GANT-LOPE, or Gauntlope (commonly pronounced gantlet). A race which a criminal was sentenced to run, in the navy or army, for any heinous offence. The ship's crew, or a certain division of soldiers, were disposed in two rows face to face, each provided with a knotted cord, or knittle, with which they severely struck the delinquent as he ran between them, stripped down to the waist. This was repeated according to the sentence, but seldom beyond three times, and constituted "running the gauntlet."

GANTREE, or Gantril. A wooden stand for a barrel.

GANZEE. Corrupted from Guernsey. (See [Jersey].)

GAP. A chasm in the land, which, when near, is useful as a landmark.

GAPE. The principal crevice or crack in shaken timber.—The seams gape, or let in water.

GARAVANCES. The old term for [calavances] (which see).

GARBEL. A word synonymous with [garboard] (which see).