DICTIONARY OF

Sidereal Month 312 Signs of Zodiac
Sidereal Month. Interval between two successive transits of Moon across the same star.
Value is 27 days 7 hours 43.2 minutes.
Sidereal Period. Time taken by a planet to make one revolution of its orbit.
Sidereal Time. Time based on hour angle of First Point of Aries.
Sidereal Year. Time taken by Earth to go round its orbit when a fixed star is taken as a point
of definition. Length is 365 days 06 hours 09 minutes 10 seconds.
Side Skids. Vertical timbers suspended over ship's side to keep cargo clear of side when
loading or discharging.
Side Stitch. Running seam put in alongside seam of a sail to give additional strength.
Sighting. Observing with the eye. Applied to document, means examining and signing as
evidence of satisfaction as to its authenticity.
Sighting the Bottom. Drydocking, beaching, or careening a vessel and carefully examining
the bottom with a view to ascertaining any damage it may have.
Sight Test. Examination of eyesight to discover any defect in it. Includes Distance, Form,
and Colour tests.
Sign. Formerly meant a 'constellation'. Now means a constellation in the Zodiac and, more
generally, the twelfth of the Zodiac in which a certain constellation is.
Signal. A pre-arranged act or exhibition that has a specific meaning.
Signal Halyards. Ropes by which flag signals are hoisted. Vary in size from 3/4 inch to 1
1/4 inch. Usually have a proportion of reverse-laid yarns, to prevent torsion causing flag to
coil up around its halyard.
Signal Letters. Four letters allotted to a vessel for indicating her name and port of registry
by International Code. The first letter indicates nationality.
Signalling. Communicating by means of sounds, signs, shapes, flags, or lights.
Signalling Lamp. Lamp constructed and fitted for signalling by Morse code. Compulsorily
carried by vessels on international voyages.
Signalman. Trained man whose duty is concerned with the making and receiving of signals.
Signals. Communications made by signalling.
Signed Under Protest. Words incorporated when signing under duress and not concurring
entirely with import of document signed, and after stating grounds of non-concurrence.
Signs of Ecliptic. 'Signs of Zodiac.'
Signs of Zodiac. Twelve portions of Zodiac, each 30° in celestial longitude. They divide
Sun's annual path into sectors, and are named after the principal constellation that was in
each sector when division was introduced. Due to precession of equinoxes, the signs move
backwards from their constellations at a rate of about one 'sign' in 2100 years,