MORTAISE, a hole or mortise, cut to receive the end of a piece of timber, called the tenent or tenon.

MORTAISE du gouvernail, the hole in the rudder-head which contains the tiller.

MORTAISE de poulie, the channel, or vacant space in a block which contains the sheave.

MORTAISE du mât de hune, the fid-hole of a top-mast.

MORTE-d'eau, or MORTE-eau, nip-tide, or neap-tides; also dead low water.

MORTIER, a mortar, employed to throw shells or carcases from a ketch.

MOUFFLE de poulie, the shell of a block. See ARCASSE.

MOUILLAGE, anchoring-ground.

Mauvais MOUILLAGE, foul-ground; bad anchor-ground, or foul-bottom.

MOUILLE, let go the anchor! The order to let the anchor fall from the cat-head to the bottom.

MOUILLÉ à une ancre de flot, & une ancre de jussant, moored with one anchor towards the flood, and another towards the ebb.

MOUILLÉ entre vent & marée, moored between wind and tide.

Bien-MOUILLÉ, well-moored; or moored in a good birth and anchor-ground.

MOUILLER, or MOUILLER l'ancre, to let go the anchor; to come to an anchor, or, simply, to anchor.

MOUILLER à la voile, to let go the anchor whilst the sails are yet abroad.

MOUILLER en croupiere, to moor with a spring upon the cable, in order to cannonade a fort, &c.

MOUILLER en patte d'oie, to moor with three anchors a-head, equally distant from from each other, and appearing like the foot of a goose.

Reference Works