MARL, To. To souse fish in vinegar to be eaten cold. See [Souse].
MARLE, To. To wind marline, spun-yarn, twine, &c., about a rope, so that every turn is secured by a kind of knot, and remains fixed, in case the rest should be cut through by friction. It is commonly used to fasten slips of canvas, called parsling, upon the surface of a rope, to prevent its being galled, or to attach the foot of a sail to its bolt-rope, &c., with marling hitches, instead of sewing it.
MARLINE. See [Line].
MARLINE-HOLES. Holes made for marling, or lacing the foot-rope and clues in courses and top-sails.
MARLINE-SPIKE. An iron pin tapering to a point, and principally used to separate the strands of a rope, in order to introduce the ends of some other through the intervals in the act of knotting or splicing; it is also used as a lever in marling, fixing seizings, &c. (See [Fid].)
MARLINE-SPIKE HITCH. A peculiar hitch in marling, made by laying the marline-spike upon the seizing stuff, and then bringing the end of that seizing over the standing part, so as to form a jamming bight.
MARMIT. A pot fitted with a hook for hanging it to the bars of the galley-range.
MAROON. A name for a bright light of that colour used for signals; and also for an explosive ball of prepared paste-board.
MAROONING. A custom among former pirates, of putting an offender on shore on some desolate cape or island, with a gun, a few shot, a flask of powder, and a bottle of water.
MARQUE. See [Letters of Marque].