angel gear

From the notion (1) that one is flying free as the wind as if on angels' wings, and (2) that one's guardian angel had better be on duty because the practice is unsafe. Compare also Jesus clip, Jesus nut, and Jesus bar. Regarding the various synonyms referring to various places or groups of people, see Mexican overdrive § Etymology.

Near-synonym: neutral

overdrive

variants, some bigoted and derogatory, some possibly so

(slang, automotive, trucking, heavy industry) The neutral gear when used while a vehicle is moving, especially when it is used to freewheel so as to save fuel or to coast downhill faster than a vehicle can go in gear.

trucking; heavy industry; trucking; heavy industry


gangsta lean

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-gangsta lean.wav

Originated in the song Be Thankful for What You Got (1974) by William DeVaughn.

Diamond in the back, sunroof top / Diggin' the scene with a gangsta lean

1974, “Be Thankful for What You Got”, in Be Thankful for What You Got, performed by William DeVaughn:

He projects a slide of a young driver doing a “gangster lean,” slouched in the seat.

2010, Andrew Holtz, The Real Grey's Anatomy, Penguin, →ISBN:

This time she's walking with the gangsta lean, she's monochrome in her Yeezy gray sports bra and leggings, she's flanked by admiring sisters as she approaches the camera and, looming above the lens, challenges: “Who the fuck do you think I is? You ain't married to no average bitch boy.”

2018, Omise'eke Natasha Tinsley, Beyoncé in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism, University of Texas Press, →ISBN, page 25:

(slang, automotive, African-American Vernacular) A driving position in which the driver holds the wheel with the hand nearest the window while leaning toward the passenger seat or sitting in a very reclined position.

Be Thankful for What You Got
William DeVaughn


green-water navy

en-noun

green-water navy (plural green-water navies)

(military, nautical) A naval force capable of military operations in coastal waters and in the open seas near its home country, but not capable of independent operations far from its home country.

(military, nautical) The portion of a naval force that is optimized for operations in coastal waters.


power unit

The combination unit was traversing a straight section of roadway, on an approximate 4 percent upgrade, when the tractor began to jackknife. As the power unit rotated clockwise, it left the roadway to the right and traveled several feet before the driver corrected the jackknife. The unit was redirected toward the travel lanes, however, before it re-entered the roadway, it rotated counterclockwise, and the driver lost control. The power unit crossed into the eastbound lane where it was struck in the right side by an eastbound van. Although a saddle tank on the power unit ruptured, there was no fire.

1988 October 12, National Transportation Safety Board, “CASE NO. 9”, in Safety Study: Case Summaries of 189 Heavy Truck Accident Investigations, archived from the original on 2017-02-17:

(transport) A truck (large road vehicle) capable of moving under its own power.


money shifting

From money + shifting. From the cost of repairs from incorrectly shifting, potentially damaging the transmission, clutch, engine, tires; by potentially over-redlining the engine, overrevving components above design limits.

(automotive) The activity of shifting to a lower gear when attempting to shift to a higher gear.

(automotive) The activity of damaging a car through incorrectly shifting to a lower gear when a higher gear is desired


fan car

(automotive, motor racing) A car with a fan to create a vacuum underneath the car, increasing downforce and better sticking the car to the driving surface, increasing traction.

Coordinate term: vacuum car

(rail transport) A car used to clean tracks of light debris, to prevent trains slipping on the rails, by blowing air to blow away debris.


money shift

(automotive) An incorrect shift to a lower gear, when meaning to shift to a higher gear.

(automotive) An event that causes damage to a car by incorrectly shifting to a lower gear when a higher gear is desired


money shift

en-verb

money shift (third-person singular simple present money shifts, present participle money shifting, simple past and past participle money shifted)

money shifts (present singular third-person)
money shifting (participle present)
money shifted (participle past)
money shifted (past)

(automotive) To incorrectly shift to a lower gear, when meaning to shift to a higher gear.

(automotive) To damage a car when incorrectly shifting to a lower gear when a higher gear is desired


Pittsburgh left

en-noun

Pittsburgh left (plural Pittsburgh lefts)

(US, transport) The act of an automobile driver to immediately turn left on the onset of a green light, regardless of the driver's right of way.


LPS

limit of positive stability
limit of positive stability#English

(nautical) Initialism of limit of positive stability.


limit of positive stability

limit of positive stability (plural limits of positive stability)

(nautical) The maximum angle at which a watercraft can heel without capsizing.


angle of vanishing stability

angle of vanishing stability (plural angles of vanishing stability)

(nautical) Synonym of limit of positive stability


KLV

KLV (countable and uncountable, plural KLVs)

(military, automotive, countable) Abbreviation of key leader vehicle.


rux

(nautical slang, dated) A noisy disturbance or commotion.


traincare

Chester: CAF Rail UK has taken over management of the traincare depot, ready for the entry into service of its new Class 197 DMU fleet.

2022 July 27, Howard Johnston, “Regional News: North West”, in RAIL, number 962, page 28:

(rail transport, normally used attributively) The maintenance and care of passenger rolling stock, usually multiple units.


NECA

Coordinate term: SECA

nitrogen oxide emission control area
w:nitrogen oxide emission control area

(nautical) Initialism of nitrogen oxide emission control area.


SECA

Coordinate term: NECA

sulfur emission control area
w:sulfur emission control area

(nautical) Initialism of sulfur emission control area.


bunker barge

Originally in reference to coal bunkers.

(nautical) A vessel used to refuel ships with coal or bunker fuel.


ERRV

(nautical) Initialism of emergency response and rescue vessel.


ECA

emission control area
w:emission control area

(nautical) Initialism of emission control area.


PUJ

public utility jeepney
public utility jeepney#English

(Philippines, road transport) Initialism of public utility jeepney.


signal post

Also suffering from age is the structural integrity of signal posts, with targeted renewals planned for CP7.

2023 August 9, Mel Holley, “Network News: Scotland's £4.2bn plan to ensure network stability”, in RAIL, number 989, page 24:

(rail transport) A post on which one or more railway signals are mounted.


entry ignition engine

entry ignition engine (plural entry ignition engines)

two-stroke engine
two-stroke engine#English

(automotive) A type of extended-Brayton-cycle-based two-stroke engine which uses four cylinders for a combustion cycle of four strokes, but having a power stroke rate of that on regular two-stroke cycles.


ADAS

ADAS are aimed to assist the drivers, who always remain responsible for vehicle control and shall permanently monitor the environment and vehicle/system performance Informal document GRVA-18-07/Rev.2, Proposal for amendments to ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRVA/2024/2, UN Regulation on uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to Driver Control Assistance Systems, UNECE, 22-26 January 2024

(automotive) Acronym of advanced driver-assistance system.


milky sea

(nautical) A bioluminescent phenomenon observable on moonless nights, caused by luminous plankton and bacteria, where the sea becomes milky white with a slight glow allowing one to see one's ship. The sea shines from horizon to horizon like a field of fresh snow (when only the surface layers shine) or a cloud (when deeper layers also shine). The phenomenon occurs most often in the Indian Ocean and off Indonesia; and does not require disruption to start shining.

mareel

a bioluminescent phenomenon that shines green, found off the Shetlands


turret farm

(military, nautical, informal) A battleship with an unusually-large number of main-battery turrets (generally five or more).

Turning to get a better bead on Princess Royal, the Prinzregent Luitpold catches a full salvo from HMS Agincourts massive turret farm' and vanishes in a roar of water and flame. Nothing is left once the smoke has cleared.

2018 October 17, Drachinifel, 24:07 from the start, in Last Ride of the High Seas Fleet - Battle of Texel 1918, archived from the original on 2022-08-24:

[…] and back in World War I, obviously, you had a lot of ships that either had amidships turrets, like the Iron Dukes, or ships that had big turret farms on the back, like Agincourt or the Wyomings, and, at that point, getting those aft guns around is obviously significantly more important than a single triple or something like that is in World War II[…]

2020 October 18, Drachinifel, 1:04:14 from the start, in The Drydock - Episode 116, archived from the original on 2022-09-29:

The main battery carried by such a battleship, or the major portion thereof.


POCC

(transport) Abbreviation of port operations control centre.


torpedo cruiser

torpedo cruiser (plural torpedo cruisers)

(military, nautical, chiefly historical) A large warship using torpedoes (the self-propelled naval weapons) as its primary armament.


torpedo ram

When his eyes were clear again, he saw the monster had passed and was rushing landward. Big iron upper-works rose out of this headlong structure, and from that twin funnels projected, and spat a smoking blast shot with fire into the air. It was the torpedo-ram, Thunder Child, steaming headlong, coming to the rescue of the threatened shipping.

1898, H.G. Wells, “The "Thunder Child."”, in The War of the Worlds, Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, retrieved 2022-11-24, page 175:

(military, nautical, historical) A warship designed to sink enemy vessels using a combination of torpedo (self-propelled naval weapon) fire and ramming.


RMMV

(UK, nautical, mail) Initialism of Royal Mail motor vessel. (a ship prefix used for packet ships propelled by liquid fuel combustion engines that carry post for the Royal Mail of the UK)


ROCS

Republic Of China
Republic of China#English

(military, nautical) Initialism of Republic Of China Ship, a warship of Taiwan, or pre-Chinese Civil War (1950) republican China (used as a ship prefix)


airship carrier

airship carrier (plural airship carriers)

Coordinate term: airship tender

(aviation, nautical, historical) A ship used to carry, deploy, and support the operations of a blimp or dirigible


airship tender

Coordinate term: airship carrier

(aviation, nautical, historical) A ship used to support operations of a blimp or dirigible


balloon tender

Coordinate term: balloon carrier

observation balloon
observation balloon#English

(aviation, nautical, historical) A ship used to support operations of a balloon or dirigible, particularly observation balloon operations


balloon carrier

balloon carrier (plural balloon carriers)

Coordinate term: balloon tender

(aviation, nautical, historical) A ship used to support carry a balloon or dirigible, and support its operation; particularly observation balloon operations


HIRMS

Coordinate term: RFS

(military, nautical) Initialism of His Imperial Russian Majesty's Ship.. A ship prefix for ships of the Imperial Russian Navy


HIGMS

(military, nautical) Initialism of His Imperial German Majesty's Ship.. A ship prefix for a ship of the Imperial German Navy (usually for prior to the dreadnought era, prior to the buildup to WWI)


FNS

(nautical, military, exonym) Initialism of French Naval Ship. A ship prefix for ships of the navy of the Third Republic of France


HIJMS

Coordinate term: JS

(military, nautical) Initialism of His Imperial Japanese Majesty's Ship. Imperial Japanese Navy ship, informal ship prefix used for a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, usually in reference to the period from the Meiji Revolution to the Washington Naval Treaty.


single track

(rail transport) A single rail line, where trains can only run in one direction at a time between passing points.


agritouristic

(tourism) Of or relating to the agritourism.


supercruiser

(military, nautical, obsolete) Synonym of battlecruiser


panda crossing

(transport, historical) A type of signal-controlled pedestrian crossing used in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1967.


radiator hose

(automotive) A rubber hose of a large diameter which carries engine coolant between the engine and radiator, and then backs towards the water pump.


bomb ship

(military, nautical, historical) A ship armed with high-angle mortars firing explosive or carcass shells, and specialized for shore bombardment.


bank engine

(rail transport) Synonym of banker (“type of railway locomotive”)


journal box

mechanical engineering
mechanical engineering

(rail transport, mechanical engineering) A box or housing enclosing or supporting a journal, often used in order to retain the lubricant.


box wagon

Greenbrier has completed production of the first JNA-X Box Wagon prototype in Romania. It forms part of an agreement for 50 new box wagons announced in March between the manufacturer, Porterbrook and GB Railfreight.

2022 September 7, “Network News: Box Wagon prototype ready for the UK”, in RAIL, number 965, page 22:

(rail transport, British) A large high-sided box-shaped open wagon mounted on two four-wheel bogies, similar to a North American gondola car.

The filled mail bags leave in a continuous stream to be loaded on the train of box wagons at the L.N.E.R. station at Nottingham (London Road), of which we reproduce an illustration at page 95. […] The train takes 300 bags of mail to a box wagon. Each bag weighs about 56 lb. and contains an average of 95 news packets and 9 parcels.

1945 March and April, “Army Post Office Mail Train”, in Railway Magazine, page 74:

(rail transport) Synonym of box van; a roofed goods wagon.


warm-water port

warm-water port (plural warm-water ports)

Because of the influence of the Gulf Stream, Murmansk is a warm-water port despite being above the Arctic Circle.

(nautical) A port (maritime shipping facility) where the water remains free of ice year-round.


bread-barge

(nautical) A wooden box or tub in which the merchant vessel's crew keep a daily allowance of bread or other biscuits.


motor torpedo boat

motor torpedo boat (plural motor torpedo boats)

internal combustion engine
internal combustion engine

(military, nautical) A torpedo boat powered by an internal combustion engine rather than a steam engine.


large light cruiser

large light cruiser (plural large light cruisers)

From Admiral John Fisher's use of subterfuge to evade a Royal Navy moratorium on the construction of new capital ships by declaring ships of this type to be large versions of light cruisers.

(military, nautical, historical) A very large, fast warship with a relatively-shallow draft and minimal belt armor, carrying a relatively-small number of very heavy guns; sometimes classed as a type of battlecruiser.

Courageous-class battlecruiser
John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher


armed merchantman

armed merchantman (plural armed merchantmen)

(military, nautical) A warship converted from a merchant ship by the installation of weaponry, primarily for use in commerce raiding or defense against same.

(nautical, chiefly historical) A merchant ship equipped with weaponry for defense against pirates, etc.


end on

(nautical) Having the end pointing directly to an object.


oblique icebreaker

oblique icebreaker (plural oblique icebreakers)

(navigation, nautical) A special type of icebreaker designed to operate not only ahead and astern, but also obliquely with a large angle of attack.


battlecarrier

The larger issue is why are you doing this? If you are going to have a battlecarrier that's acting as your combat air patrol provider, that would suggest that your own carriers either can't provide it, or, you need to load your fleet carriers with as many strike aircraft as possible to hit the enemy as hard as possible, which means you're offloading the fighter duties to another ship. Which then raises the question of why are you doing that, and the only real answer for why you would do that instead of having a dedicated battleship and a dedicated aircraft carrier or two is that you're horribly outnumbered and you're looking to eke every last margin out of your fleet. And if you're that desperate, you have much, much larger issues to address than could possibly ever be solved by a battlecarrier carrying a squadron or two of fighters.

2022 February 9, Drachinifel, 16:39 from the start, in Naval Engineering Disasters - How not to design a ship, archived from the original on 2022-09-25:

(military, nautical, historical) A hybrid between a battleship and an aircraft carrier, with both one or more heavy gun turrets and a large aircraft hangar and flight deck.


make landfall

en-verb

make landfall (third-person singular simple present makes landfall, present participle making landfall, simple past and past participle made landfall)

makes landfall (present singular third-person)
making landfall (participle present)
made landfall (participle past)
made landfall (past)

(nautical) (of a ship) to arrive on shore, or sight the shore


manavelins

Unknown, probably related to manarvel (“To steal food or supplies from a ship's store”). Possibly related to minnow (“A relatively small and insignificant person or organization”).

A very good table was kept, and the dog-basket and 'menavelings' from it alone would have supplied the fo'c'stle twice over.

1893, John Arthur Barry, Steve Brown's Bunyip: And Other Stories, page 34:

For many of the maize farms where, by reason of the “menavelings” from the grain crop, it is possible to get good supplies of pig grain at little cost, such a system would be admirable.

1901, Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales, page 512:

He efficiently loaded our bicycles and manavelins onto a waiting Volkswagen bus.

2011, V. Traven, Memoirs of a Dromomaniac, page 183:

(nautical slang) Odds and ends, leftovers, or scraps of food.


back-seat drive

back-seat drive (third-person singular simple present back-seat drives, present participle back-seat driving, simple past back-seat drove, past participle back-seat driven)

back-seat drives (present singular third-person)
back-seat driving (participle present)
back-seat drove (past)
back-seat driven (participle past)

(automotive, intransitive) To engage in the habit or practice of back-seat driving.


manarvel

manarvel (third-person singular simple present manarvels, present participle manarveling or manarvelling, simple past and past participle manarveled or manarvelled)

manarvels (present singular third-person)
manarveling (participle present)
manarvelling (participle present)
manarveled (participle past)
manarveled (past)
manarvelled (participle past)
manarvelled (past)

Unknown; probably related to manavelins.

The other three quarters didn't have the guts to manarvel the cargo. They were like jackals that are too cowardly to make their own kill, but must follow the trail of carcasses left by the lions and tigers.

1967, Hal Travers, Voyage Sixty-nine, page 458:

Zachary began to wonder whether the gomusta was not some kind of investigator, looking into a report of misplaced or manarveled provisions. Yet, why would he concern himself with butter of all things?

2009, Amitav Ghosh, Sea of Poppies, page 152:

His spirit lingers near the fortress at the other end of the remoseless depths where Theseus manarvels fleece.

(nautical slang, obsolete) To steal food or supplies from a ship's store.


AVAS

The coming Audi E-tron GT, for example, has control units that remix the sound effects based on the car’s speed or the position of the accelerator pedal. Also fitted to the Audi is an AVAS — an acoustic vehicle alerting system, required to alert pedestrians that an electric car is close by.

2021 February 4, Stephen Williams, “E.V.s Force Carmakers to Reinvent the Wheel, and Brakes, and Mirrors …”, in The New York Times:

(automotive) Initialism of acoustic vehicle alerting system: a system that emits vehicle warning sounds alerting pedestrians to the presence of electric vehicles.


booking lad

This will provide a permanent automatic record of all train movements in the area of each box and eliminate the manual recording at present done by booking lads.

1964 November, “The Electrification of BR: 5 The Southern's Bournemouth scheme”, in Modern Railways, page 320:

(rail transport, dated, British) A young male employee in a signal box who records the movement of trains past the box.


buffer up

buffer up (third-person singular simple present buffers up, present participle buffering up, simple past and past participle buffered up)

buffers up (present singular third-person)
buffering up (participle present)
buffered up (participle past)
buffered up (past)

The Type 3 will propel the unit on the return working to Bournemouth Central, where it will be buffered up to the remaining units for the journey back to Waterloo.

1964 November, “The Electrification of BR: 5 The Southern's Bournemouth scheme”, in Modern Railways, page 321:

(rail transport, transitive) To move (a rail vehicle) so that its buffers are touching the buffers of another rail vehicle.


Monon

Named after two creeks, Big Monon and Little Monon, originally Monong, a Potawatomi word.

(rail transport) A former railroad in Indiana, which had its base in the town.


blind summit

(road transport) A summit on a road which prevents the driver of a vehicle from having line of sight of beyond it; commonly considered a potential hazard when overtaking on a bidirectional road.


dispatch money

en-noun

dispatch money (countable and uncountable, plural dispatch moneys)

(nautical, economics) A type of allowance given to a ship's charterer by the owner, in order to shorten the lay days stipulated in their mutual contract.


shockie

(Australia, New Zealand, automotive, slang) A shock absorber.


straight-six

(engineering, automotive) An internal combustion engine, with six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft.


two-wheel drive

two-wheel drive (countable and uncountable, plural two-wheel drives)

(vehicles) A four-wheeled vehicle in which only two of the wheels receive power from the engine.


uncockable

(rail transport, firearms, rare) Not able to be cocked.


cockable

(rail transport, firearms, rare) Able to be cocked.


reef-tackle

topsail yards down upon the caps, and sails flapping and beating against the masts; and starboard watch hauling out the reef-tackles of the main topsail.

1840, R[ichard] H[enry] D[ana], Jr., “CHAPTER XXXV”, in Two Years before the Mast. […] (Harper’s Family Library; no. CVI), New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers […], →OCLC:

(nautical) The ropes that are tightened to reef a sail or loosened to fully extend it.


Cape Horner

No merchant vessel looks better than an Indiaman, or a Cape Horn-er, after a long voyage; and many captains and mates will stake their reputation for seamanship upon the appearance of their ship when she hauls into the dock.

Yet such fellows are by no means uncommon at sea, for one often happens upon a man in a Cape Horner's forecastle whom Nature did not intend should be there.

1899, Paul Eve Stevenson, By Way of Cape Horn: Four Months in a Yankee Clipper, page 291:

The Morning Light (I) was built as a Cape Horner, in which service she made five voyages and performed creditably considering her sailing chances.

1955, William Armstrong Fairburn, Merchant Sail - Volume 4, page 2377:

(nautical) A ship that sails around Cape Horn


shearpole

so careful were our officers to keep the rattlins taught and straight, that we were obliged to go aloft upon the ropes and shearpoles with which the rigging was swifted in; and these were used as jury rattlins until we got close upon the coast

On the greasy deck of a whaling vessel, piled as high as the main shearpole with immense slabs of blubber sizzling in the heat of a tropic sun, the task is peculiarly disagreeable.

1892 February, Charles A. McDougall, “John Daymer's Luck”, in Munsey's Magazine, volume 6, number 5, page 569:

The man who had trodden on his fingers stood holding on to the shearpole as if paralysed, but the skipper, who was just descending from aloft, saw what had happened and leapt clean over the intervening boat into the sea.

1910, Frank Thomas Bullen, Fighting the Icebergs, page 41:

Their lengthy tale was a sorry one of vessels under-crewed in able seamen, with the deficiency made up with supernumeraries – “no sailors at all ...... .not able to go aloft ... couldn't put their feet above the shearpole; " of unfit vessels, “ a man has often to carry emigrant ship in his arms...for the hands are always at the pumps;" crowded conditions for emigrants, with little segregation of the sexes – in consequence "scarcely a single woman who emigrates who keeps her character on board ship;" and provisions so bad "that the biscuits are so full of maggots that the sailors say they're rich as Welch rabbits when toasted."

2017, Lars U. Scholl, Merchants and Mariners: Selected Maritime Writings of David M. Williams, page 216:

(nautical) A horizontal beam that goes along the edge of the shroud to which the rigging is attached.


fill away

en-verb

fill away (third-person singular simple present fills away, present participle filling away, simple past and past participle filled away)

fills away (present singular third-person)
filling away (participle present)
filled away (participle past)
filled away (past)

It was just dinner-time when we filled away; and the steward, taking a few bunches of onions for the cabin, gave the rest to us, with a bottle of vinegar.

"It appears that you have used the boat without authority, and permitted her to be taken from you by a parcel of boys. I will see you at my house this evening. You may fill away, Ernest , if you are ready."

1868, Oliver Optic, Breaking Away: Or, The Fortunes of a Student, page 286:

Using this as a snubbing line allows your boat to drift clear of the others and fill away.

2020, Charles D. White, Handbook of Sailing, page 162:

(nautical) Let the wind fill the sails of a sailing ship and start sailing.


single-heading

The primary purpose of having such high power available is enabling the single-heading of heavy trains, which results "in higher payload and lower traction costs", says Stadler.

2022 October 19, Tony Streeter, “A glimpse into UK rail's future: Europe's most powerful”, in RAIL, number 968, page 35:

(rail transport) The haulage of a train by one locomotive.


engine cleaner

Driver Langdale entered the service of the L.N.W.R. as an engine cleaner at Camden on April 25, 1898, at the age of 17, and has been stationed in the London area ever since.

1943 September and October, “Top Link Drivers”, in Railway Magazine, page 293:

(rail transport, dated, British) An employee who cleans railway locomotives, especially steam locomotives in the days of steam.


jibhead

For instance there can be no disputes nor discourses about the superiority of the jibhead sail plan with its permanent backstay over the old fashioned gaff-head main sail.

1950 January 12, MotorBoating, →ISSN Invalid ISSN, page 101:

(nautical) A piece of iron at the head of a jib (triangular staysail).


child lock

(automotive) A type of special-purpose lock that when activated, prevents rearseat passengers from opening the doors from the inside.


DPV

diver propulsion vehicle
w:diver propulsion vehicle

(nautical, military) Initialism of diver propulsion vehicle.

dynamically positioned vessel
w:dynamically positioned vessel

(nautical) Initialism of dynamically positioned vessel.


comby

en-adj

comby (comparative more comby, superlative most comby)

more comby (comparative)
most comby (superlative)

(US, railways) Of a wheel: having a defect consisting of a network of fine cracks covering a small area of the tread.


dragon's teeth

en-noun

dragon's teeth pl (normally plural, singular dragon's tooth)

Coordinate term: shark's teeth

The new line markings – known internationally as dragon's teeth – are designed to make sure motorists know they are entering a 40kmh school zone. […] "It's our aim to get these new dragon's teeth out on our streets as quickly as possible, which is why we'll be enlisting the help of several different crews around the state to get started on this massive rollout."

2009 May 24, Lisa Carty, “Dragon's teeth to guard school zones”, in The Sydney Morning Herald:

(UK, Australia, New Zealand, road transport) A series of triangular road surface markings painted on each side of a traffic lane, used for traffic calming or to alert drivers to a speed limit.


fork oil

fork oil (countable and uncountable, plural fork oils)

(automotive) A lubricant for use on the fork of a motorcycle.


CEN

(rail transport) The station code of Central in Hong Kong.


split rim

(automotive) A wheelrim consisting of several connected pieces, generally used on large and heavy vehicles.


student driver

(law, automotive) A person who has not yet earned a driver's licence, and until then is permitted to drive only a marked car with a licensed driving instructor in the passenger seat.


en echelon

From French en échelon, literally in echelon.

(nautical, military, of wing-mounted gun turrets on a warship) Staggered; offset so that the wing turret on one side is mounted further forwards than the one on the opposite side.


private ship

(military, nautical) A warship that is not the flagship of a fleet or squadron.


freeboard deck

Figure 60 shows the downflooding angles for the downflooding points described above, plus the angle at which the edge of the freeboard deck would have been immersed (about 15°).

2017 December 12, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.12.10 Postaccident Analysis of Stability, Structures, and Sinking”, in Marine Accident Report: Sinking of US Cargo Vessel SS El Faro, Atlantic Ocean, Northeast of Acklins and Crooked Island, Bahamas, October 1, 2015, archived from the original on 2022-11-24, page 156:

(nautical) The uppermost watertight deck of a vessel.


Wild Irishman

(railways, historical, slang) The train between Euston and Holyhead, in connection with the Kingstown mailboats.


turn in succession

en-verb

turn in succession (third-person singular simple present turns in succession, present participle turning in succession, simple past and past participle turned in succession)

turns in succession (present singular third-person)
turning in succession (participle present)
turned in succession (participle past)
turned in succession (past)

(nautical, military, of ships in a line of battle) To change course one at a time in sequence, with all ships following the track of the leading ship as if on rails and turning at the same location, so as to preserve the layout of the battleline throughout the turn.


turn together

turn together (third-person singular simple present turns together, present participle turning together, simple past and past participle turned together)

turns together (present singular third-person)
turning together (participle present)
turned together (participle past)
turned together (past)

(nautical, military, of ships in a line of battle) To change course simultaneously, without waiting to reach the turning point of the leading ship.


ram bow

(nautical, chiefly military, historical) A bow that projects forwards below the waterline into a reinforced blade or point, used to sink other ships by ramming.


slab-track

slab-track (third-person singular simple present slab-tracks, present participle slab-tracking, simple past and past participle slab-tracked)

slab-tracks (present singular third-person)
slab-tracking (participle present)
slab-tracked (participle past)
slab-tracked (past)

"Going to W12 gauge requires some significant work in those tunnels. The current scheme is showing that we're going to slab-track both of those tunnels.

2022 November 16, Philip Haigh, “Trans-Pennine... transformative”, in RAIL, number 970, page 40:

(rail transport) To lay slab track on a section of railway line.


line ahead

en-noun

line ahead (usually uncountable, plural lines ahead)

Unfortunately, the squadron was, in fact, quite a bit north by northeast of where they thought they actually were. The radiobeacon readings, as it turned out, had been correct. At about five o'clock in the afternoon, they'd adopted a line ahead formation, and, so, when the flagship made its turn to port at nine o'clock, the rest of the ships followed in an orderly queue. However, it was to be the third ship in line, USS Young, that would be the first casualty, as she tore open her hull on a submerged section of the shoal, capsizing to starboard, and taking twenty men with her, at four minutes past nine.

2019 November 20, Drachinifel, 8:10 from the start, in Honda Point Disaster - Taking a Wrong Turn at Albuquerque, archived from the original on 2022-12-14:

At about 0400 Nishimura's heavy ships joined up again with the Mogami group, and at about 0100 his force assumed its line formation for the approach to Leyte Gulf. In the lead were two destroyers. Four kilometers behind them were the two battleships and the cruiser Mogami in line ahead, with a destroyer on each flank. The last action between the motor-torpedo boats and the Japanese force ended at 0213 on 25 October. As the battle between Nishimura and the PT boats was ending the battle between his force and the American destroyers was beginning.

2024, Walter S. Zapotoczny, “The Battle of Surigao Strait: The Last Crossing of the T”, in Military History Online, archived from the original on 2024-05-23:

(nautical, military) A type of warship formation with the ships proceeding one after another and the trailing ships following behind the lead ship on the same path.


line abreast

line abreast (usually uncountable, plural lines abreast)

No sooner has the fleet settled onto this course than a small group of Japanese cruisers and actual, real, live, all-singing, all-dancing, all-features-included, protected-by-the-Emperor torpedo boats begin to move to cross the T of the Russian fleet. Worried about a torpedo attack on his lead battleships and determined to sweep this small formation aside, Rozhestvensky orders his main ships into a line abreast, a far-more-potent display of force that allows every forward-pointing gun on his capital ships to bear at the same time. Falling out of line ahead into line abreast does require a bit of skill and some clever handling, but three of the four leading battleships execute it perfectly. Unfortunately, Alexander III gets it wrong, and turns the wrong way. Soon enough, the rest of the line is piling up in confusion as Rozhestvensky tries to decide whether burying his head in his hands, slamming it repeatedly into the nearest bulkhead, or screaming incoherently whilst hurling binoculars at every ship in sight is more becoming for a man of his position. Wearily, he cancels the order and orders the ships back into line-ahead formation instead.

2019 September 18, Drachinifel, 12:24 from the start, in Battle of Tsushima - When the 2nd Pacific Squadron thought it couldn't get any worse..., archived from the original on 2022-12-04:

(nautical, military) A type of warship formation with the ships proceeding side-by-side on parallel tracks.


line abreast

(nautical, military, aviation, of ships or aircraft) Arranged or proceeding side-by-side.


stern plane

(nautical) A diving plane mounted on or near the stern of a submarine.


fairwater plane

fairwater plane (plural fairwater planes)

(nautical) A diving plane mounted on or near the sail of a submarine, used to cause the submarine to rise or sink without pitching up or down.


bow plane

(nautical) A diving plane mounted on or near the bow of a submarine.


diving plane

(nautical) A moveable control surface on a submarine, used to control the depth and pitch of the submarine.


accessory battery

accessory battery (plural accessory batteries)

internal combustion engined
internal combustion engine

(automotive, of electrified vehicles) The standard 12V rechargeable automotive lead-acid battery or the stand-in battery for a standard 12V automotive battery found in internal combustion engined vehicles, typically used to power the typical 12V systems, the accessories, infotainment, automotive computer, and electronic systems.


four-track

[...] Mr. M. N. Rollason points out that on four-track lines on which the fast lines, in the centre, are flanked by the slow lines, and running at speed is permissible on all four, the traveller can enjoy some quite exciting experiences when trains are doing a "neck-and-neck" on adjacent lines.

1944 May and June, “Notes and News: Express Travel on Slow Lines”, in Railway Magazine, page 184:

(rail transport) Synonym of four-tracked.


silo truck

(automotive) A commercial truck carrying free-flowing bulk products in its own silo (type of truck)


shock absorption

(automotive) The act of dampening shocks by dissipating kinetic energy.


engine house

Of locomotive interest was "an engine house for spare engines which was about 60 ft. × 51 ft.; on the outside of this was an immense turntable sufficient to turn the engine and tender at once."

1944 July and August, Reginald B. Fellows, “The Failure of Bricklayers Arms as a Passenger Station—I”, in Railway Magazine, page 211:

(rail transport) A building for housing one or more locomotives, an engine shed.


arsenal ship

(military, nautical) A ship, filled with missiles, typically cruise missiles, which it can launch to attack far off targets, but which has little in the way of other capabilities, similar to a modified cargoship. A floating missile battery, a floating missile firebase.


tram locomotive

tram locomotive (plural tram locomotives)

L.N.E.R. class "Y6" 3 ft. 1 in. 0-4-0 steam tram locomotive No. 7133
This locomotive, constructed at the Stratford works of the former Great Eastern Railway in 1897, was one of six which were built between 1883 and 1897 especially to work the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway.

1944 July and August, Railway Magazine, page 233, photo caption:

(rail transport) A steam locomotive specially built, or modified, to run on a street, or roadside, tramway track, hauling trains of wagons or carriages.


drugged driving

Drugged driving deaths in Wisconsin have increased nearly 200 percent over the past ten years.[…]Help prevent drugged driving and let's achieve zero preventable deaths on Wisconsin roadways.

2016, Wisconsin Dept of Justice, “Drugged Driving”, in YouTube:

driving under the influence
driving under the influence

(law, automotive) The act of driving under the influence of mind-altering drugs (excluding alcohol).


sling the hatchet

en-verb

sling the hatchet (third-person singular simple present slings the hatchet, present participle slinging the hatchet, simple past and past participle slung the hatchet)

slings the hatchet (present singular third-person)
slinging the hatchet (participle present)
slung the hatchet (participle past)
slung the hatchet (past)

(nautical, slang, obsolete) To skulk about, not getting work done.


bolster wagon

Bolster wagons are wagons fitted with heavy timber baulks which enable steel rails, long timber or similar traffic to be carried above the very low wagon sides. Single bolsters are used in groups of up to five. When five single bolsters are used in a set the load is secured to the second and fourth bolsters, but it must rest on all five wagons. In such a case the total weight of the load must not exceed two-thirds of the total carrying capacity of the five wagons. Twin bolsters are single bolsters permanently coupled, and double bolster wagons carry two bolsters apiece.

1944 September and October, T. F. Cameron, “The Distribution of Rolling Stock”, in Railway Magazine, page 269:

(rail transport) A flat or low-sided wagon, typically four-wheeled in contrast to a bogie bolster wagon with eight wheels, fitted with one or more heavy wooden baulks (bolsters), usually mounted transversely on its deck to support the load it carries. Two or more wagons can be coupled to carry a long load.


straight-pipe

straight-pipe (third-person singular simple present straight-pipes, present participle straight-piping, simple past and past participle straight-piped)

straight-pipes (present singular third-person)
straight-piping (participle present)
straight-piped (participle past)
straight-piped (past)

(automotive, transitive) To modify (a vehicle) to be straight-piped.


straight-piped

(automotive) Having a simple pipe from the engine to the exhaust, without muffler or catalytic converter.


stand with

stand with (third-person singular simple present stands with, present participle standing with, simple past and past participle stood with)

stands with (present singular third-person)
standing with (participle present)
stood with (participle past)
stood with (past)

A number of large fishing-boats were coming in from sea, and standing with us into the roads; and although we were running at the rate of seven knots an hour, they passed us with great rapidity.

1837, George Windsor Earl, The Eastern Seas, page 12:

(obsolete)
(nautical) To travel alongside.


rail motor

A rail motor was introduced about 1905, and in July, 1908, there were actually some 27 runs each way daily on the branch.

1944 November and December, G. A. Knott, “Forgotten Train Services in the Birmingham District”, in Railway Magazine, page 333:

The L&YR built a small number of these trains, known as 'Rail Motors', for rural branch lines. It was only fitting that the Horwich branch should have its own.

2023 March 8, Paul Salveson, “Fond farewells to two final trains...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 54:

(rail transport) Alternative form of railmotor.


galley news

(nautical, slang) Gossip and rumors circulated on shipboard.


swing at anchor

swing at anchor (third-person singular simple present swings at anchor, present participle swinging at anchor, simple past and past participle swung at anchor)

swings at anchor (present singular third-person)
swinging at anchor (participle present)
swung at anchor (participle past)
swung at anchor (past)

Aaand any idea of asking for reinforcements was put off by the likely candidates: even-more-obsolete ironclad vessels and coastal-defense units which were swinging at anchor across the bay.

2019 March 13, Drachinifel, 9:20 from the start, in The Russian 2nd Pacific Squadron - Voyage of the Damned, archived from the original on 2022-12-16:

(nautical, of a ship, boat, or other vessel) To remain in port for a prolonged period of time without sailing.

boat; or other vessel; boat; or other vessel


wheel lathe

It features inspection roads and pits, a wheel lathe, wash-plant, and storage and office space for training and support functions.

2022 December 14, “News in pictures: £70m Gosforth depot nears completion”, in RAIL, number 972, page 27:

(mechanical engineering, rail transport) A lathe for the manufacture and resurfacing of the wheels for rail vehicles.


general cargo

en-noun

general cargo (countable and uncountable, plural general cargoes or general cargos)

general cargoes (plural)
general cargos (plural)

So far as general cargo is concerned, the quay equipment has to be decided in the light of the kind of cargo to be dealt with. […] Almost all modern cranes are electrically operated and a quick-acting type of 30 cwt. capacity is suitable for general cargo, but not powerful enough to operate grabs for discharge of bulk cargoes.

1945 January and February, T. F. Cameron, “Dock Working”, in Railway Magazine, page 11:

(shipping) Goods that are stowed in a ship in individually counted units and recorded on different bills of lading, and distinct from bulk cargo or cargo in containers; now largely superseded by containerisation of goods.


single-driver

A few such examples have been preserved, as is well known, such as one of the Stirling 8-ft. singles of the late Great Northern Railway, the Great Western 4-4-0 City of Truro, ex-Caledonian single-driver No. 123, the Brighton 0-4-2 Gladstone, and others.

1945 March and April, “Preserving Historic Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 64:

(rail transport, British, obsolete) A steam locomotive with a single driving axle.


stowdown

(nautical, obsolete) The placing away in casks or tanks of the oil obtained in whaling.


lamp-iron

One or two lines (the G.N.R. and the L.D. & E.C.R., for example) had two lamp-irons, one above the other, on the chimney, and the Midland and the North Staffordshire achieved the same effect by placing the secomd iron a short way down on the smokebox door.

1945 March and April, J. T. Howard Turner, T. S. Lascelles, “Former Head-Code Complications—I”, in Railway Magazine, page 75:

(rail transport) A piece of iron projecting upwards on which a lamp can be hung.


Washington cherry tree

Washington cherry tree (plural Washington cherry trees)

From having been "cut down by Washington", referencing the legendary tale of [George] Washington and the cherry tree.

(military, nautical, historical) A battleship or battlecruiser cancelled or downsized as a result of the Washington Naval Treaty.


Parliamentary heel

Parliamentary heel (plural Parliamentary heels)

Alternative form: parliamentary heel

(nautical, historical) A maintenance manoeuvre for sailing vessels during the Age of Sail — similar to careening — during which weight (such as ballast, guns or crew) is shifted to one side of the vessel to make it heel; thereby providing relatively quick access to the underside of the vessel for cleaning or repair at low expense.


headstay

The more the backstay is tightened, the less the headstay will sag off to leeward, forming a rigid and more efficient arc along the luff of the genoa while beating to weather.

1982 January, Jerry Cartwright, “Cruising Seamanship”, in Motorboating & Sailing, volume 149, number 2, page 23:


Gibson ring

After its inventor, J. Gibson of the British Great Western Railway.

(rail transport) A retaining ring used to fit a steel tire to the wheel of rolling stock.


TODA

en-proper noun

TODA (countable and uncountable, plural TODAs)

Tricycle Operators & Drivers Association#English

(Philippines, road transport) Initialism of Tricycle Operators & Drivers Association.


SMMT

“A drop of that magnitude is a concern,” said Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, as he warned the government needed to provide “urgent clarity” on a transitional Brexit deal so that companies could press ahead with crucial spending decisions.

2018 January 31, Angela Monaghan, “UK car production falls for first time since 2009 as Brexit fears hit sales”, in The Guardian:

w:Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders

(UK, automotive) Initialism of Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.


round ship

The development in the late thirteenth century of the round ship or cog and the great mercantile galley represented an attempt to provide greater cargo space at lower cost for long - distance trade .

1981, Maureen Fennell Mazzaoui, The Italian Cotton Industry in the Later Middle Ages, 1100-1600, page 48:

One of the most common sea vessels in medieval Europe was the “round ship”. A common round ship was the cog.

2018, Inventions: A Children's Encyclopedia, page 19:

By the mid-fifteenth century, the Mediterranean round ships called cocca was already replaced by the carrack, the largest bulk carrier known to contemporaries.

2021, Renard Gluzman, Venetian Shipping from the Days of Glory to Decline, 1453–1571, page 53:

(nautical, historical) A superclass of wooden sailing ship type with a length-to-beam ratio of roughly two to one and normally having one mast with a single square-rigged sail, used as a generic term encompassing most European ancient and mediaeval ships up to the Age of Sail except galleys and longships, variously including or excluding cogs and coccas (the length-to-beam ratio of which could rise to over three to one); a ship (type) of this class.

The cocca was the Mediterranean equivalent of the German and north European cog, with a longer hull than the classical Mediterranean round ship (see below, right).

2017, Brian Lavery, Ship: 5,000 Years of Maritime Adventure, page 49:

It is similar to the Mediterranean ‘round ship’, which had a rounded profile, and normally had two masts with lateen sails and steering oars.

2017, Helen J. Nicholson, Medieval Warfare: Theory and Practice of War in Europe, 300-1500, page 147:

(nautical, historical) A Mediterranean type of wooden sailing ship of the Late Middle Ages with a length-to-beam ratio of roughly two or three to one and normally having one or two masts with a single lateen or square-rigged sail (each); a ship of this type.


nonant

Borrowed from Latin nōnum, accusative singular of nōnus (“ninth part of something, ninth”).

(nautical) A theoretical measuring device with a graduated arc of 40° used in locating an altitude.


packet station

From packet, a vessel to carry mail etc.

A branch line was to run from Newport to Ryde, which had by then attained considerable importance as the packet station providing the quickest access to the island from London, via Portsmouth.

1946 March and April, K. Westcott Jones, “The Isle of Wight Central Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 112:

(nautical, dated) A ferry port used by packets (ferries) carrying mail and passengers over short distances, e.g. across a channel.


Turkish Riviera

Turkish+riviera. From being a coastline in Turkiye similar to the Riviera, like the French Riviera.

(tourism, marketing) A region of Turkey; the southern in the Aegean Sea, coast to the western Mediterranean Sea, of the southwest coastline of Anatolia, Western Asia


prismatic coefficient

en-noun

prismatic coefficient (plural prismatic coefficients)

(nautical, engineering) The ratio between the total submerged volume of a ship's or boat's hull, on the one hand, and the product of the length of the submerged portion of the hull with the area of the largest cross-sectional slice of the submerged portion of the hull, on the other.


block coefficient

block coefficient (plural block coefficients)

(nautical, engineering) The proportion occupied, by the submerged portion of a ship's or boat's hull, of a rectangular prism with dimensions equal to the maximum beam of the submerged portion of the hull, the length of the submerged portion of the hull, and the draft of the vessel.


tricoat

tricoat (countable and uncountable, plural tricoats)

(automotive) A multilayer paint job giving a pearl appearance.


PTV

Public Transport Victoria
w:Public Transport Victoria

(Australia, transport) Initialism of Public Transport Victoria.


fourth class

[…] Mr. S. C. Hawtrey writes that when he knew the Moscow-Kazan Railway (then under British management) in 1913, it was a regular practice in Russia to paint the exterior of first class coaches blue, second class yellow, third class green, and fourth class, where it still survived, brown.

1946 May and June, “Notes and News: Russian Coach Colours”, in Railway Magazine, pages 184–185:

(rail transport) A class of rail travel formerly found in some countries.


MSH

Mahesana Junction railway station
w:Mahesana Junction railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Mahesana Junction railway station in India.


SOLAS

(nautical, law) Acronym of Safety of Life at Sea.. An international convention on maritime safety standards.


shipentine

(US, archaic, nautical) A four-masted barque (sailing vessel with a certain rigging arrangement).


mastspore

From Middle English mastspore, equivalent to mast + spur.

(nautical, historical) Synonym of mast step


mast step

(nautical) A steel or wooden foundation on which a mast rests.


trice up

en-verb

trice up (third-person singular simple present trices up, present participle tricing up, simple past and past participle triced up)

trices up (present singular third-person)
tricing up (participle present)
triced up (participle past)
triced up (past)

(nautical, of a lower bunk) To placed up so as to allow more access to the floorspace underneath, such as for cleaning.


slam door

In the early 1970s, the Southern Region was also reporting around 1,500 incidents each year caused by passengers opening slam doors - including a dozen deaths and other injuries caused by falling from trains, either in stations or on the move.

2023 February 22, Howard Johnston, “Southern '313s': is the end now in sight?”, in RAIL, number 977, page 41:

(rail transport, British, dated) A hinged railway carriage door which opened outwards, that could be opened from the inside only by opening the window and turning the handle on the outside. They originated on carriages with compartments and no corridors, and persisted on later carriage designs with corridors on one side of the compartments, being fitted on the non-corridor side.


hydrodrome

(nautical, obsolete) Synonym of hydrofoil (“boat using hydrofoils”)

aerodrome

type of aircraft; aircraft composed of aeroplanes (airfoils)


ditchfinder

My MX-5 was *ace* in the snow in February round here. I went where other cars couldn't go with no problem at all. It was on Avons, and felt a whole hell of a lot safer then the FWD Puma on Pirelli ditchfinders did.

2009 August 5, Mike P, “Re: Rear wheel drive”, in uk.rec.cars.misc (Usenet):

The better half's Lupo was transformed when the cheap and nasty Nankang ditchfinders came off (and they were well above the legal limit) and mid-price Kumhos went on. The cheapos compromise on grip and can become noisy.

2012 February 26, Chris Bartram, “Re: tyres”, in uk.rec.driving (Usenet):

Sure, mismatching isn't ideal, but I'd much rather have mismatched decent tyres than matched AliBaba-brand-it-yourself ditchfinders.

2016 June 7, Adrian, “Re: Tyre noise”, in uk.rec.cars.maintenance (Usenet):

(UK, automotive, slang) A poor-quality tyre for a car, usually one made and sold cheaply.


ASN

(transport) Initialism of advance shipping notice.


trainagraph

(railways, historical) An instrument for recording the pressures in a train's braking system.


stopping service

en-noun

stopping service (plural stopping services)

While he is reasonably effusive about inter-city travel, he is heavily disparaging of all types of stopping service, including those on otherwise busy main lines. His analysis is not entirely unsound, and he tackles some of the questions head on.

2023 March 8, Gareth Dennis, “The Reshaping of things to come...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 47:

(rail transport) A train service operated by a stopping train.


single-tracking

Why was there not more talk about destaffing, pay trains, or simplified signalling or single-tracking?

2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 51:

(rail transport) The reduction of a double-track rail line to a single track, when the extra capacity of a double-track line is no longer required.


promenade deck

There are main and upper decks and a promenade deck.

1947 January and February, “New Southern Channel Steamer”, in Railway Magazine, page 49:

(nautical) An upper deck on a passenger ship on which passengers may walk, which can be covered but open to the air.


fore-and-aft rig

fore-and-aft rig (plural fore-and-aft rigs)

While there seems to be no limit to the scope of utility of the fore-and-aft rig, I think its picturesqueness belongs only to the conventional twomasted schooner.

1896 October, R.B. Burchard, “Racing Schooners”, in Outing, volume 29, number 1, page 50:

(nautical) A sailing rig consisting of sails set mainly along the line of the keel.


ASuW

anti-surface warfare
anti-surface warfare#English

(military, nautical) Abbreviation of anti-surface warfare.


LEZ

(UK, transport) Abbreviation of low emission zone.


ZEZ

(UK, transport) Abbreviation of zero emission zone.


torpedo boat destroyer

torpedo boat destroyer (plural torpedo boat destroyers)

torpedo-boat destroyer
torpedo-boat destroyer#English

(historical, nautical, military) Alternative form of torpedo-boat destroyer


torpedo-boat destroyer

torpedo-boat destroyer (plural torpedo-boat destroyers)

From torpedo boat + destroyer. From being a type of combatant originally specialized to counter the newly introduced torpedo boat.

(historical, nautical, military) Former name of destroyer.


monkey island

We passed them on our way to the monkey island, or flying bridge, where we could enjoy the best view.

2008, George Fetherling, Running Away to Sea: Round the World on a Tramp Freighter, page 54:


runaway diesel

internal combustion engine
internal combustion engine#English

(automotive) A diesel internal combustion engine which is uncontrollable with conventional means due to an aspirated fuel leak that revs faster and faster to destruction unless stopped.

diesel locomotive
diesel locomotive#English

(rail transport) A runaway train with a diesel locomotive.


panic party

(nautical, military) A group of sailors given the task of pretending to abandon ship, so as to encourage a submarine to approach so that it can be attacked.


jibsheet

(nautical) the sheet (rope) used to control the jib (sail)


curtain-sider

Bailey adds: "Curtain-siders are a third of our business. That is an untapped market for rail. […] You could see trains coming out of the Southampton terminal with 40 to 60 boxes, and the rest filled with curtain siders to East Midlands Gateway, then aggregating them from there to the North.

2023 April 19, Paul Clifton, “Rail is clearly key to our future”, in RAIL, number 981, page 32:

(transport) A freight vehicle, including semi-trailers, with sides that open and close like a curtain, to facilitate loading and unloading.


engine-rich

en-adj

engine-rich (comparative more engine-rich, superlative most engine-rich)

more engine-rich (comparative)
most engine-rich (superlative)

(automotive) Pertaining to a condition where there is excessive fuel in the fuel-to-air ratio, in the running of an internal combustion engine.


spitkit

(nautical, slang) A small submarine chaser.


NOTMAR

Translingual: NOTMAR

French: NOTMAR

(nautical) Abbreviation of notice to mariners (to inform mariners of hazards).


bulb-out

(traffic engineering) A traffic calming measure that widens the sidewalk for a short distance.

(traffic engineering) A round area of pavement that protrudes from one side of a road to accommodate turning vehicles with a wide turning circle.


pooping wave

(nautical) A wave of water that crashes over the stern of a ship and onto the deck.


gammon iron

(nautical) The iron ring in the stem through which the bowsprit passes in yachts.


clue up

en-verb

clue up (third-person singular simple present clues up, present participle cluing up or clueing up, simple past and past participle clued up)

clues up (present singular third-person)
cluing up (participle present)
clueing up (participle present)
clued up (participle past)
clued up (past)


MGN

(UK, railways, historical) Initialism of Midland and Great Northern.


LWOST

At high tide, 2¼ miles of the tunnel are under water, but at low tide, a wide expanse of rocks is left uncovered, and the main stream of the river flows through a channel 55 ft. deep at l.w.o.s.t., but little more than ¼ mile wide, known as the Shoots, some 1½ miles from the eastern (Gloucestershire) bank.

1948 September and October, “Weekend Works in the Severn Tunnel”, in Railway Magazine, page 298:

(nautical) Abbreviation of low water ordinary spring tides.


Tesla-swapped

(automotive) Of a car: electrified by replacing its internal combustion engine and fuel system with a battery pack and an electric motor salvaged from a Tesla Motors all-electric battery-powered car.


LS-swap

(automotive) A car where the engine has been replaced by a General Motors LS-series internal combustion gasoline engine.


LS-swap

LS-swap (third-person singular simple present LS-swaps, present participle LS-swapping, simple past and past participle LS-swapped)

LS-swaps (present singular third-person)
LS-swapping (participle present)
LS-swapped (participle past)
LS-swapped (past)

(automotive) To replace the engine of a car with a GM LS-series internal combustion gasoline engine, that was not originally so equipped.


LS-swapped

(automotive) Pertaining to cars where the engine has been replaced by a GM LS-series internal combustion gasoline engine.


K-swap

(automotive) A car where the engine has been replaced by a Honda K-series internal combustion gasoline engine.


K-swap

K-swap (third-person singular simple present K-swaps, present participle K-swapping, simple past and past participle K-swapped)

K-swaps (present singular third-person)
K-swapping (participle present)
K-swapped (participle past)
K-swapped (past)

(automotive) To replace the engine of a car with a Honda K-series internal combustion gasoline engine, that was not originally so equipped.


Tesla-swap

(automotive) A car which has been electrified by removing its internal combustion engine and fuel system, and replacing it with a battery pack and an electric drive motor salvaged from a Tesla Motors all-electric battery-powered car.


Tesla-swap

Tesla-swap (third-person singular simple present Tesla-swaps, present participle Tesla-swapping, simple past and past participle Tesla-swapped)

Tesla-swaps (present singular third-person)
Tesla-swapping (participle present)
Tesla-swapped (participle past)
Tesla-swapped (past)

(automotive) To convert an internal combustion engine car into an all-electric battery-powered vehicle, by replacing its engine and fuel system with a battery pack and an electric drive motor salvaged from a Tesla Motors all-electric battery-powered car.


K-swapped

(automotive) Pertaining to cars where the engine has been replaced by a Honda K-series internal combustion gasoline engine.


SPMT

(transport) Initialism of Self-Propelled Modular Transporter.


V engine

(automotive) An internal combustion engine configuration consisting of two cylinder banks—usually with the same number of cylinders in each bank—connected to a common crankshaft, and arranged at an angle to each other so as to form a V shape when viewed from the front of the engine.


tramplate

Its [the Penydarren Tramroad's] value diminished considerably with the opening of the Taff Vale Railway in 1841, but the line remained in use until 1875, and the tramplates were not removed until 1890. […] Views and dimensions of a 3-ft. tramplate from the Penydarren Tramroad

1948 November and December, “Notes and News: Early Tramplates”, in Railway Magazine, page 412, including photo caption:

(rail transport, historical) A type of iron rail used on a tramroad.


GB/T

From Mandarin GB/T, from Mandarin 國標/推薦／国标/推荐 (guóbiāo/tuījiàn).

(automotive) An electric vehicle charging standard, defining the physical plug, communications protocol, and charging method.


GB/T

(automotive) A plug, cable, charger, or outlet using the electric vehicle charging standard


rum bosun

(nautical, historical) A sailor tasked with collecting the rum in a "fanny" (metal container) for the distribution of the daily rum ration.


up spirits

(nautical, historical) The time, around midday, when sailors were given the daily rum ration.


rum tub

(nautical, historical) The barrel from which sailors' daily rum rations were dispensed.


stand fast the Holy Ghost

A punning retort to up spirits, since to stand fast is not to rise up, and spirit may refer to alcohol or to a ghost.

(nautical, historical, humorous) A sailor's cry in response to the announcement of up spirits (the handing out of the daily rum ration).


Black Tot Day

(nautical, historical) 31 July 1970, the final day on which the Royal Navy issued sailors with a daily rum ration.


bus mile

Coordinate term: train mile

(transport) A mile driven by an individual bus, used as a statistical unit in transport calculations.


(US, military, nautical, journalism) Abbreviation of journalist, petty officer, first class. A journalist of the U.S. Navy holding the rating of first class petty officer, the highest class of regular petty officer.


(automotive) The industry promulgated standard for DC fast charging, in North America, a combination of the Type 1 AC charging standard connector, additional DC conductor pins, and the CCS protocol.


(automotive) A plug, charger, or, outlet, using the electric vehicle charging standard


(automotive) The European Union legally defined standard for public DC fast charging, a combination of the Type 2 AC charging standard connector, additional DC conductor pins, and the CCS protocol.


(automotive) A plug, charger, or outlet, using the electric vehicle charging standard


luggage van

"It would only be the fare," Noël answered; "and I'd go third, or even in a cattle-truck, or a luggage van.[…]"

1904, Edith Nesbit, The New Treasure Seekers, Chapter 1:


flightmare

Blend of flight + nightmare. Compare also frightmare.

She glanced, for the first time since this flightmare started, to the man sitting in the aisle seat beside her.

2011, Joe Shrader, Eden Falls, page 118:

I was so grateful to see my children that day, and even Jake was a sight for sore eyes after the “flightmare” from hell.

2015, Mary Helen Hensley, Promised by Heaven:

The flightmare continues as I elbow my way through chuckleheads in pleated khakis or gamey business suits with phones clipped to their belts, parents who are wrangling several unruly kids hopped up on M&Ms, and reunited couples engaged in serious tonsil hockey.

2015, Jennifer Worick, Things I Want to Punch in the Face, page 15:

(travel, aviation) An unpleasant flight or experience during air travel.


twincharge

twincharge (third-person singular simple present twincharges, present participle twincharging, simple past and past participle twincharged)

twincharges (present singular third-person)
twincharging (participle present)
twincharged (participle past)
twincharged (past)

Back-formation from twincharger. Analyzable as twin + charge.

(automotive) To equip with twincharging, to equip with twinchargers, to equip with both an exhaust-drive turbocharger and power-driven supercharger.


twincharged

(automotive) Equipped with twincharging, with a twincharger setup, having both a power-driven supercharger and an exhaust-driven turbocharger.


self-righter

(nautical) A vessel that can self-right.


IVI

en-noun

IVI (countable and uncountable, plural IVIs)

(automotive) Initialism of in-vehicle infotainment.


IVIS

information system
information system#English

(automotive) Initialism of in-vehicle information system.


fog bell

(nautical) A bell used in fog and poor visibility.


international salute

international salute (plural international salutes)

(military, nautical) A salute of 21 guns as a sign of respect to another country's flag.


front seat

Coordinate term: back seat

The state police recovered a broken, jumbo (1.75-liter) bottle of vodka under the front seat of the burned-out wreckage of the minivan.

Who gets to sit in the front seat of the car?

Being that the leading cause of death in children over the age of three is motor vehicle collisions, parents should do everything possible to get their kids to buckle up and to keep smaller children from sitting in the deathtrap otherwise known as the front seat.

2012 August 8, Lindsay Abrams, “Study: We Are Pathetically Failing at Safely Putting Children in Cars”, in The Atlantic, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-02-01:

(automotive) A seat in the front of the vehicle, especially the one next to the driver.


chime whistle

With a toot on her chime whistle, No. 6 set her 3 ft. 9 in. drivers [driving wheels] turning and we were off round the curve through Pennyburn works.

1949 November and December, K. Longbottom, “By Goods Train to Gweedore”, in Railway Magazine, page 353:

(especially rail transport) A steam whistle with at least two simultaneous tones.


wheeltapping

(UK, rail transport, historical) The work of a wheeltapper, tapping a train's wheels with a hammer to detect cracks.


out of gauge

(shipping) Of cargo: that cannot be loaded in a standard dry container due to its excessive dimensions or weight.

During the year 1949, well over 7,500 exceptional and out-of-gauge loads were carried in the London Midland Region of British Railways. Among them were railway coaches for Egypt, locomotives for Ireland, and specially-constructed wagons and large pieces of machinery for various parts of the world.

1950 February, “Notes and News: Out-of-Gauge Loads, L.M.R.”, in Railway Magazine, page 140:

(rail transport) Of rail vehicles, or loads carried on freight vehicles: where dimensions exceed the loading gauge or structure gauge for a particular line or route.


HEI

high energy ignition
w:high energy ignition

(automotive) Initialism of high energy ignition.


platform edge door

platform edge door (plural platform edge doors)

HS2 Ltd has commenced its search for a supplier of platform edge doors at Old Oak Common and Interchange stations.

2023 August 9, “Network News: Search for platform edge doors supplier”, in RAIL, number 989, page 19:

platform screen door
platform screen door#English

(rail transport) Synonym of platform screen door.


waybeam

Oak waybeams, 28 ft. long × 14 in. wide × 9½ in. deep, resting in the troughs, support the track, which is laid with flat-bottom bridge rails, 56 ft. long, and weighing 126 lb. per yd.

1950 March, H. A. Vallance, “On Foot Across the Forth Bridge”, in Railway Magazine, page 149:

(rail transport) A longitudinal timber supporting railway track, especially on a bridge.


HHG

(shipping) Initialism of household goods.


roachless

(nautical) Without a roach (part of a sail).


head

the first turn of the screw pays all debts

/θə‿fɚɹst‿tɚn‿ʌv‿θə‿skɹu‿peɪ̯z‿ɑl‿dɛts/

On the one hand was Martyn's dictum that the 'first turn of the screw pays all debts';

1943, Geoffrey Willans, One Eye on the Clock, page 41:

—The first turn of the screw pays all debts, he had muttered (crossing himself) in the stern of the Purdue Victory, where the deck shuddered underfoot as the blades of the single screw churned Boston's water beneath him;

1955, William Gaddis, The Recogntions, page 9:

The first turn of the screw pays all debts, they say, except when there is a warship about.

1991, T.R. Frame, J.V.P Goldrick, P.D. Jones, Reflections on the RAN, page 16:

(nautical) One's problems on shore may be forgotten at the first turn of one's ship's propeller.


flank speed

In a magnificent beau geste, the destroyer, hopelessly trapped, turned as if to flee, threw out a smoke screen, and when the [enemy ship] charged into it, rammed her at flank speed […]

1988, William Manchester, The Last Lion, volume 2, page 635:


BEMU

With its Networker Class 165 diesel multiple units […] now 30 years old, Chiltern issued two procurement notices in September 2022 for "between 30 and 70 existing or converted BEMUs" with a circa £200m contract value. A second notice, also for 30-70 units, called for new BEMUs with a circa £400m contract value.

2023 August 23, Mel Holley, “Network News: ... while Chiltern Railways targets low-emissions stock”, in RAIL, number 990, page 7:

battery-electric multiple unit
battery electric multiple unit#English

(rail transport) Initialism of battery-electric multiple unit.


battery electric multiple unit

en-noun

battery electric multiple unit (plural battery electric multiple units)

battery electric multiple units (plural)

"The subject of this [2023] procurement notice does not include full BEMUs. Chiltern is now seeking offers for other low-emissions solutions as a possible alternative or in addition to full battery electric multiple units."

(rail transport) An electrically driven multiple unit or railcar whose energy is derived from rechargeable batteries driving the traction motors.


continuous-braked

Some goods trains have a third class carriage at the back, and as the whole train is continuous-braked, travelling is not uncomfortable.

1950 April, Timothy H. Cobb, “The Kenya-Uganda Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 266:

(rail transport) Having a number of vehicles fitted with air or vacuum brakes, all connected by train pipes, the braking being under the control of the train driver.


harrier carrier

harrier carrier (plural harrier carriers)

Blend of harrier + aircraft carrier. From the Hawker-Siddeley Harrier GR.1/2/3 & AV-8A and the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, the Harrier jump jet named after the harrier bird.

aircraft carrier
aircraft carrier#English

(nautical, military, aviation, slang) A small light fast aircraft carrier specialized in operating VTOL aircraft, used for controlling sea lanes, convoy escort, and anti-submarine patrol (ASW).

en:Hawker-Siddeley Harrier
en:McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II


lightning carrier

lightning carrier (plural lightning carriers)

From Blend of lightning + aircraft carrier. From the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, the Lightning II jump jet, itself named after WWII Lockheed P-38 Lightning I, in turn, named after the lightning bolt and lightning.

(nautical, military, aviation, slang) A small light fast aircraft carrier specialized in operating VTOL aircraft, used for controlling sea lanes, convoy escort, and, anti-submarine patrol (ASW)

en:Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
en:Lockheed P-38 Lightning


non-terminus

TransPennine Express has introduced 'zoning' at all its non-terminus stations, in a bid to speed up boarding and reduce passenger stress.

2023 September 6, “Network News: TPE 'zoning' to aid boarding”, in RAIL, number 991, page 16:

(rail transport, of a station) That has through platforms, and is not a terminus, or used as a terminus.


econometer

(automotive) An instrument in a motor vehicle that indicates the fuel consumption.


FMCSA

The Border and International Safety Program is part of FMCSA’s work in developing uniform standards or at least compatible motor carrier safety requirements and procedures throughout North America. It works with the governments of Canada and Mexico to ensure that Mexican and Canadian drivers of commercial motor vehicles in the United States meet the same safety standards as do American drivers.

2014, Mark Evan Garrett, editor, Encyclopedia of Transportation: Social Science and Policy, →ISBN, page 567:

Under the FMCSA regulations, truck drivers may be on duty for a maximum of 14 hours in a day, with a maximum of 11 hours spent driving. Trucks are equipped with an electronic logging device that indicates when a driver needs to go on their rest break, sending notifications to the driver and their employer.

2020 January 23, Rachel Premack, “Worked 'like a rented mule': A truck driver claims an Amazon contractor forced him to drive for up to 30 hours straight in a new lawsuit”, in Business Insider:

w:Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

(transport) Initialism of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a government regulatory agency in the United States.


HMPS

HMPS (usually uncountable, plural HMPSs or HMPSes)

(Pakistan, nautical, military, historical) Abbreviation of His/Her Majesty's Pakistani Ship. of the 1947-1957 Royal Pakistani Navy


smashboard

(Canada, US, rail transport, historical) A pivoted board that could be operated to swing into position across the track, for use as a signal.


subway-surface

(rail transport, US) streetcar lines whose sections in the city center operate in tunnels like subway lines; typically built to speed up streetcar service by bypassing congested streets, as provision for future conversion to rapid transit, or both.

prémétro

streetcar line or network with a rapid transit-style city center tunnel


(transport) On road signage, indicates one must turn back.


NSG

New Southgate railway station
w:New Southgate railway station

(rail transport) The station code of New Southgate railway station in England.


HWH

Haltwhistle railway station
w:Haltwhistle railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Haltwhistle railway station in England.

Howrah railway station
w:Howrah railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Howrah railway station in India.


KPLE

Kopai railway station
w:Kopai railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Kopai railway station in India.


BHP

Bolpur Shantiniketan railway station
w:Bolpur Shantiniketan railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Bolpur Shantiniketan railway station in India.


PNE

Penge East railway station
w:Penge East railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Penge East railway station in England.

Prantik railway station
w:Prantik railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Prantik railway station in India.


TWI

Twickenham railway station
w:Twickenham railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Twickenham railway station in England.

(rail transport) The station code of Tin Wing stop in Hong Kong.


HUH

(rail transport) The station code of Hung Hom in Hong Kong.


TAW

(rail transport) The station code of Tai Wai in Hong Kong.


KOT

(rail transport) The station code of Kowloon Tong in Hong Kong.


UNI

(rail transport) The station code of University in Hong Kong.


TWO

(rail transport) The station code of Tai Wo in Hong Kong.


EXC

Exhibition Centre
w:Exhibition Centre station (MTR)

(rail transport) The station code of Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong.


MOK

(rail transport) The station code of Mong Kok in Hong Kong.


SHT

(rail transport) The station code of Sha Tin in Hong Kong.


PRE

(rail transport) The station code of Prince Edward in Hong Kong.


KOB

(rail transport) The station code of Kowloon Bay in Hong Kong.


NTK

(rail transport) The station code of Ngau Tau Kok in Hong Kong.


YAT

(rail transport) The station code of Yau Tong in Hong Kong.


YMT

(rail transport) The station code of Yau Ma Tei in Hong Kong.


MKK

(rail transport) The station code of Mong Kok East in Hong Kong.


MMCT

Mumbai Central railway station
w:Mumbai Central railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Mumbai Central railway station in India.


TIK

(rail transport) The station code of Tiu Keng Leng in Hong Kong.


CSMT

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
w:Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

(rail transport) The station code of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in India.


GHY

Guwahati railway station
w:Guwahati railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Guwahati railway station in India.


HOM

(rail transport) The station code of Ho Man Tin in Hong Kong.


SNRD

Sandhurst Road railway station
w:Sandhurst Road railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Sandhurst Road railway station in India.


LOF

Coordinate term: LOFR

(automotive) Initialism of lube, oil and filter (change).


LOF

(rail transport) The station code of Lok Fu in Hong Kong.


DIH

(rail transport) The station code of Diamond Hill in Hong Kong.


KJMG

Kanjurmarg railway station
w:Kanjurmarg railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Kanjurmarg railway station in India.


INDB

Indore Junction railway station
w:Indore Junction railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Indore Junction railway station in India.


BDB

Vrindaban railway station
w:Vrindaban railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Vrindaban railway station in India.


MLND

Mulund railway station
w:Mulund railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Mulund railway station in India.


VDG

Vadnagar railway station
w:Vadnagar railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Vadnagar railway station in India.


KYN

Kalyan Junction railway station
w:Kalyan Junction railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Kalyan Junction railway station in India.


CYR

Charni Road railway station
w:Charni Road railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Charni Road railway station in India.


KGM

Kathgodam railway station
w:Kathgodam railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Kathgodam railway station in India.


HSW

Hussainiwala railway station
w:Hussainiwala railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Hussainiwala railway station in India.


UJN

Ujjain Junction railway station
w:Ujjain Junction railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Ujjain Junction railway station in India.


JMNR

Jamner railway station
w:Jamner railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Jamner railway station in India.


PBHD

Prabhadevi railway station
w:Prabhadevi railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Prabhadevi railway station in India.


PUNE

Pune Junction railway station
w:Pune Junction railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Pune Junction railway station in India.


AVD

Avadi railway station
w:Avadi railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Avadi railway station in India.


MTJ

Mathura Junction railway station
w:Mathura Junction railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Mathura Junction railway station in India.


MGLA

Islamabad railway station
w:Islamabad railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Islamabad railway station in Pakistan.


TSW

(rail transport) The station code of Tsuen Wan in Hong Kong.


LCK

(rail transport) The station code of Lai Chi Kok in Hong Kong.


KWH

(rail transport) The station code of Kwai Hing in Hong Kong.


KET

(rail transport) The station code of Kennedy Town in Hong Kong.


CSW

Abbreviation. The SOWPODS synonym derives from "Collins Scrabble Words".

(rail transport) The station code of Cheung Sha Wan in Hong Kong.


SHW

(rail transport) The station code of Sheung Wan in Hong Kong.


KWF

(rail transport) The station code of Kwai Fong in Hong Kong.


QUB

(rail transport) The station code of Quarry Bay in Hong Kong.


TAK

(rail transport) The station code of Tai Koo in Hong Kong.


SWH

(rail transport) The station code of Sai Wan Ho in Hong Kong.


SKW

(rail transport) The station code of Shau Kei Wan in Hong Kong.


TIH

(rail transport) The station code of Tin Hau in Hong Kong.


TSY

(rail transport) The station code of Tsing Yi in Hong Kong.


OLY

(rail transport) The station code of Olympic in Hong Kong.


KOW

(rail transport) The station code of Kowloon in Hong Kong.


HOK

(rail transport) The station code of Hong Kong in Hong Kong.


TWH

(rail transport) The station code of Tai Wo Hau in Hong Kong.


AWE

(rail transport) The station code of AsiaWorld–Expo in Hong Kong.


AIR

(rail transport) The station code of Airport in Hong Kong.


relative bearing

relative bearing (plural relative bearings)

(nautical) The clockwise angle from the heading of the vessel to a straight line drawn from the observation station on the vessel to a given object.


tack about

en-verb

tack about (third-person singular simple present tacks about, present participle tacking about, simple past and past participle tacked about)

tacks about (present singular third-person)
tacking about (participle present)
tacked about (participle past)
tacked about (past)


rigging monkey

(nautical) A crewmember of a sailing vessel whose primary responsibility is to climb the mast, usually with the assistance of a boatswain's chair, in order to work on the rigging of the ship.


assholed

(vulgar, slang, automotive, uncommon) Rear-ended by another vehicle on the road.


torpedo stern

(nautical) A kind of stern with a low rounded shape that is nearly flat at the waterline, but which then slopes upward in a conical fashion towards the deck.


RSW

(nautical) Initialism of refrigerated sea water.


two, six, heave

Various theories with scant evidence; see Wikipedia.

(nautical) Used to coordinate a pulling effort.


service book

(automotive) A booklet in which the servicing history of a vehicle is recorded.


windblocker

(automotive) An aerodynamic accessory to reduce wind and wind noise for occupants of a moving vehicle.


six-coupled

Tank engines, all six-coupled, are used on a variety of services.

1950 October, R. A. Marshall, “Kuala Lumpur, an Important Malayan Railway Centre”, in Railway Magazine, page 706:

(rail transport) Of a locomotive, having six driving wheels on three axles coupled together with rods.


mitchboard

(nautical, historical) A support on the deck for the mast when it is lowered.


car shed

They form part of the vast electrification and reconstruction schemes which have been in hand for a number of years at Liverpool Street, and in suburban Essex, and include the rearrangement of tracks, of which the Ilford flyover forms part; the modern signal boxes, now needed only at key points; the electric control or sub-stations; and a large electric car shed.

1951 January, R. A. H. Weight, “A Railway Recorder in Essex and Hertfordshire”, in Railway Magazine, page 44:

(rail transport) A large building provided for the housing and maintenance of passenger cars or carriages (or coupled trains thereof).


Consolidation

W.D. 2-8-0s have replaced Gresley Consolidations to a great extent on mineral and slow freight trains.

1951 January, R. A. H. Weight, “A Railway Recorder in Essex and Hertfordshire”, in Railway Magazine, page 45:

(rail transport) A steam locomotive of the 2-8-0 wheel arrangement, first built in the United States in 1866.


everything but the galley stove

en-noun

everything but the galley stove (uncountable)

everything but the kitchen sink
everything but the kitchen sink#English

(nautical) Synonym of everything but the kitchen sink


answering pennant

answering pennant (plural answering pennants)

(nautical) A pennant with vertical red and white stripes, acknowledging receipt of the previous signal.


orderboard

(rail transport, historical) A movable signal indicating whether or not there are train orders to be picked up.


microhybrid

internal combustion engine
internal combustion engine

(automotive) A motor vehicle whose internal combustion engine is automatically shut down and restarted to reduce time spent idling and thereby reduce fuel consumption and emissions.


beadhook

From Middle English bedocke, *bedhoke, from Old English *beaduhōc (“battle-hook”), from Old English beadu (“battle”) + hōc (“hook”).


channel plate

“[W]e left the brig at sundown, lying with her channel plates nearly under water.”

1874, Marcus Clarke, For the Term of His Natural Life, Penguin, published 2009, page 250:

(nautical, now historical) An iron plate or link fastened under a channel, to which a mast is secured.


body control module

body control module (plural body control modules)

(automotive) An electronic unit responsible for monitoring and controlling various electronic accessories in the body of a motor vehicle, such as windows, mirrors, air conditioning, and central locking.


stern chase

(nautical) A chase in which one ship follows directly in the wake of another.


stern frame

(nautical) The sternpost, transoms, and fashion pieces of a ship's stern.


2-1 road

(transport) A type of road with extra-wide shoulders and a smaller single two-way lane in the middle for vehicles.


ride hard

en-verb

ride hard (third-person singular simple present rides hard, present participle riding hard, simple past rode hard, past participle ridden hard)

rides hard (present singular third-person)
riding hard (participle present)
rode hard (past)
ridden hard (participle past)

(nautical) Of a ship: to pitch violently.


claw hammer coupling

en-noun

claw hammer coupling (plural claw hammer couplings)

Norwegian coupling
Norwegian coupling#English

(rail transport) Synonym of Norwegian coupling


chopper coupling

chopper coupling (plural chopper couplings)


Norwegian coupling

Norwegian coupling (plural Norwegian couplings)

(rail transport) A manually operated coupling at each end of some narrow-gauge railway rolling stock, consisting of a central buffer incorporating a hook that drops into a slot in the opposing central buffer.


locomotiveman

The rule in question debars any member of the Society, who is also a member of any other trade organisation, catering for railway locomotivemen, from occupying any salaried position, serving as a delegate, or occupying any other position in the Society.

1921, John R. Raynes, chapter 20, in Engines and Men, page 230:

(rail transport) The driver of a locomotive.


head

there is no replacement for displacement

(automotive, colloquial) A bigger engine is better.


sea soldier

(military, nautical, archaic) A marine (soldier serving at sea).


SLW

(rail transport) Initialism of single-line working.


de-electrify

en-verb

de-electrify (third-person singular simple present de-electrifies, present participle de-electrifying, simple past and past participle de-electrified)

de-electrifies (present singular third-person)
de-electrifying (participle present)
de-electrified (participle past)
de-electrified (past)

It formed part of the LNER's electrified North Tyneside system until it was de-electrified by BR in 1963.

2023 November 29, Richard Foster, “Tyne & Wear Metro goes with the flow”, in RAIL, number 997, page 32:

(rail transport) To remove the electrification for powering electric trains from a railway.


road-railer

"I had to stand by for half an hour, which is a long time when you're dealing with an incident, until we could get a road-railer up to decant the passengers, get them to the nearest access point and into taxis, so we could deal with the incident.

2023 November 29, Paul Clifton, “West is best in the Highlands”, in RAIL, number 997, page 40:

(rail transport) A road vehicle that can be used on railway track by lowering retractable railway wheels on to the track at a suitable level place.


Flying Banana

From flying (“capable of speed”) + banana (in reference to its yellow colour).

com

(UK, rail transport, humorous) The New Measurement Train; the high-speed track testing train used on the British railway network.


Doctor Yellow

Calque from Japanese ドクターイエロー (Dokutā Ierō), itself a pseudo-anglicism from English doctor + yellow, in reference to its diagnostic function and bright yellow appearance.

ja-r

ドクターイエロー (Dokutā Ierō)

(rail transport, humorous) The high-speed track testing train used on the Tokaido Shinkansen and San'yō Shinkansen.


wine route

Stellenbosch's other attraction—it is a major one—is its Wine Route, and here we are back to Phyl's adventure and fun. It is one of the gayest, most exciting things to explore in all South Africa and since its start seven years ago it has become one of the country's major attractions.

1978, Eve Palmer, Geoffrey Jenkins, The Companion Guide to South Africa, HarperCollins, page 367:

(tourism) A marked and advertised road with special signs in a wine-producing region, used to promote local vineyards and other places of touristic interest.


map pocket

(automotive) A storage bin attached to a section in the interior of a vehicle.


breadbag

[…] with a breadbag full of straw for a mattress.

(nautical, historical) A canvas sack for the storage of hardtack.


crane locomotive

en-noun

crane locomotive (plural crane locomotives)

Former North London Railway 0-4-2 saddle-tank crane locomotive, withdrawn from service in February

1951 April, Railway Magazine, number 600, page 283, photo caption:

(rail transport, obsolete) A tank locomotive fitted with a crane for lifting purposes.


mini-shinkansen

mini-shinkansen (plural mini-shinkansen or mini-shinkansens)

mini-shinkansen (plural)
mini-shinkansens (plural)

Borrowed from Japanese ミニ新幹線(しんかんせん) (mini shinkansen). By surface analysis, mini- + shinkansen.

(rail transport) A conventional Japanese rail line which has been upgraded to allow use by shinkansen; generally to allow the continuation of shinkansen services beyond the end of a purpose-built, high-speed line.


Luton van

From Luton + van, in reference to the design first being manufactured by Bedford Vehicles in Luton, England.

(road transport) A box van with a body which extends over the cab.

Luton

part of the body of a commercial or recreational vehicle that extends over the cab


ass cart

For many years the coal measures on the shores of Lough Allen were worked only in the most primitive fashion, and the coal was transported laboriously in the inevitable ass carts of the Irish peasant.

1951 May, R. K. Kirkland, “The Cavan & Leitrim Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 339:

(vehicles) A cart hauled by an ass (the animal).


brake dust

(vehicles) Dust or residue generated from the friction between the brake pads and the brake rotors or drums in a vehicle's braking system.


milk truck

(US, transport) Any type of vehicle used for long-distance transportation of liquid fresh milk.


salt truck

(US, transport) Any type of vehicle designed to spread salt on the roads when they are covered with ice.

sószóró

a vehicle designed to spread salt on the roads when they are covered with ice


flask wagon

The main line fleet consists of 40 FNA-D flask wagons, 27 PFA two-axle container flats, six huge KXA-C eight-axle 'Flatrol' wagons designed to carry 110-tonne international flasks to and from Barrow Docks, and two 150-tonne-capacity French-built KUA wagons with distinctive silver sliding hoods for MoD traffic, also carried on four bogies to spread the weight.

2023 December 27, Ben Jones, “Inside Sellafield... by rail”, in RAIL, number 999, page 21:

(rail transport, British) A special open wagon for the transport of nuclear flasks.


TLP

Traffic Light Protocol
Traffic Light Protocol#English

(traffic) Initialism of Traffic Light Protocol.


human-occupied vehicle

human-occupied vehicle (plural human-occupied vehicles)

(nautical) A type of submersible that delivers a group of pilots, scientists, or electronic equipment down in water and onto the seafloor.


truck camper

recreational vehicle
recreational vehicle

(US, automotive) Any recreational vehicle that may be carried in the bed of a pickup truck.


book of lading

(shipping) A book that records the details of carried cargoes.


ore car

(mining, rail transport) An open-top bulk material car of heavy construction for carrying dense ores, usually emptying through one or more hoppers.


livestock car

(rail transport) A railway car for carrying livestock.


monkey bike

Came to be known as a monkey bike because those riding them "looked like monkeys".

(slang, automotive) The Honda Z series, a line of minibikes.


monkey motion

monkey motion (countable and uncountable, plural monkey motions)

(slang, automotive) The excessive movement of a mechanical device.


Orkney skiff

(nautical, Scotland) A fishing skiff used off the Orkney Islands of Scotland.


bread dust

(nautical, dated) A type of dried or stale ship's biscuit reduced to fine crumbs or powder; breadcrumbs.


AHT

AHT (countable and uncountable, plural AHTs)

anchor-handling tug
anchor-handling tug#English

(nautical) Abbreviation of anchor-handling tug.


quickshifter

(automotive) A device that eliminates the need to use the clutch or throttle when shifting gears on a manual transmission.


blipper

(automotive) A device that applies the throttle when downshifting, for a smoother gear transition and to avoid wheelspin.


black-ganger

He held strongly to the black-ganger's philosophy - what is the use of all the radar and guns and torpedoes if you don't have the engineers and stokers to put them in the right position?

1960, J.E. Macdonnell, Escort Ship, Sydney: Horwitz Publications, published 1972, page 22:


yard jockey

(rail transport, trucking) A yardman who switches locomotives and rolling stock in a switchyard, or a truck driver who analogously switches tractors and semi-trailers at a truckyard or depot.


rail terminal

This is a result of a switch from High Street to online retailing, requiring consumer goods to be delivered to the door from large-scale distribution parks that have sufficient traffic to justify a rail terminal.

2024 January 10, 'Industry Insider', “Success built on liberalisation and market freedom”, in RAIL, number 1000, page 69:

(rail transport) A rail-served facility used for the transfer of freight or passengers to or from other modes of transportation.


galley downhaul

galley downhaul (plural galley downhauls)

(nautical, obsolete) An imaginary rope, the object of a task assigned to new recruits as a prank.


galley yarn

(nautical, slang, obsolete) A hoaxing story.


cliff railway

A branch of rail transport that seems to been rather neglected by historians is that concerned with cliff railways, of which a fair number exist in Great Britain. This is probably because these lines are overshadowed by the more spectacular funicular railways in Switzerland and other mountainous regions; perhaps, too, because of the general habit of referring to them as "cliff lifts," which tends to associate them with the vertical indoor type.

1951 August, P. W. Gentry, “Cliff Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 514:

(transport, rail transport, UK) Synonym of cliff lift (Sense 1).


scissor crossover

scissor crossover (plural scissor crossovers)

scissors crossover
scissors crossover#English

(rail transport) Synonym of scissors crossover.


helicopter ear

(slang, automotive) A form of Helmholtz resonance experienced in a moving vehicle, when one of the windows is rolled down.


XLT

XLT (countable and uncountable, plural XLTs)

(automotive) A designation for a trim level within a model of trucks; it denotes high-end features.


roundhouseman

(rail transport) A person who works in the roundhouse.


royalsail

(nautical, sailing) A royal (square sail over the topgallant sail).


cowl unit

(rail transport, Canada, US) A bodystyle of diesel locomotive, one with fullwidth enclosing bodywork.


check-in time

(travel) The time during which a registered guest is expected to arrive at a lodging.

(travel) The time prior to departure of a scheduled flight when a passenger must present one's ticket and baggage for travel.


odometer fraud

(law, criminology, automotive) The illegal practice of rolling back an odometer to make it appear that a vehicle has lower mileage than it actually does.


lighting-up time

lighting-up time (countable and uncountable, plural lighting-up times)

(UK, law, automotive) A time period during which all motor vehicles on unlit public roads must have their headlights switched on.


gate time

(travel, aviation) The moment in time at which an aircraft pulls back from the gate, or passes a certain point on the track.

(travel, aviation) A prescheduled time at which a flight will enter a new area of controlled airspace.


elapsed flying time

elapsed flying time (countable and uncountable, plural elapsed flying times)

(travel, aviation) The amount of time that an aircraft spends in the air.