DICTIONARY OF

Label Clause 193 Lambda
L
Label Clause. Inserted in policies of marine insurance covering bottled goods. Excludes
claims for damaged or discoloured labels.
Labile. Term applied to atmosphere when lapse rate exceeds adiabatic lapse rate.
Labour. As applied to ship, is to roll and pitch heavily and slowly.
Labrador Current. Alternative name for 'Arctic Current'.
Labyrinth Packing. Invented by Sir Charles Parsons. Escape of steam is throttled by
successive glands, each having less clearance than the preceding gland.
Laced Mainsail. Mainsail that is laced to main boom. First used in British waters by
'America' in 1851.
Lacing. Running line by which a sail is laced to a gaff or boom, or to another sail. 2. Line by
which a boat's canvas cover, or other canvas gear, is secured in place. 3. *Name formerly
given to a support immediately abaft a figurehead.
Lade. Old form of 'Load'. 2. Deepest part of an estuary when caused by outflow of main
stream.
Laden in Bulk. Said of a vessel carrying a bulk cargo in all holds.
Ladies' Ladder. Name applied to ratlines of rigging when they are closely spaced.
Lading. That which is loaded into a ship. The act of loading.
Lady of the Gunroom. Originally, a night watchman in the gunroom. Later, a marine
responsible for care and cleanliness of gunroom.
Lady's Hole. Small compartment in which gunroom stores were kept.
Lag. Interval between cause and effect. Time taken by a registering instrument to adjust
itself to a change in the value it is registering. A slowness in following up.
Lagan. Jettisoned goods that sink and are buoyed for subsequent recovery.
Lagging. Non-conducting coating of a boiler, cylinder, or other container in which transfer
of heat must be prevented. 2. A falling behind; being late in occurrence or arrival. 3. Lagging
of tide is an increase in the time interval between successive high waters. Roughly speaking,
it occurs as tide increases from neap to springs.
H Lagoon. Sheet of water connected with sea but nearly surrounded by land.
Lagoon Reef. Atoll surrounding a lagoon.
Laid Up in Ordinary. Said of a warship when paid off and under charge of master attendant
of a dockyard.
Lambda. Greek letter ( ). Used as a symbol to denote the directive force of a magnetic
needle, in a given position, as a proportion of the directive force it would have if entirely
free to respond to terrestrial magnetism alone.