Nautical terms

Geordi La Forge as an 18th century naval officer on the holodeck

Nautical terms, known colloquially as sailor talk or as navy phrases, were a collection of traditional sea-going references. These references were often later used for modern starship operations.

Tradition

Both naval traditions and maritime traditions existed well into the 24th century, and were commonplace within Starfleet. (DS9: "Rapture", "Behind the Lines"; Star Trek Nemesis)

Miles O'Brien liked to sing "ancient Human sea chanties" in his kayaking holoprogram, which he felt was "necessary to establish a smooth paddling rhythm." Upon learning this fact from Odo, the Female Changeling (who was posing as Kira Nerys) expressed that she "never pictured O'Brien as a nautical type." (DS9: "Heart of Stone")

Key personnel on a ship

The crew were the individuals, or shipmates, who served aboard a ship and collectively made up the complement.

Crewmembers or personnel generally consisted of officers and crewmen, as well as civilians. These were also referred to as the ship's "hands".

• Boatswain: a non-commissioned officer who was responsible for mooring, berthing, gangways, and decorating them accordingly upon visitation of a high-ranking official or VIP; he/she was also responsible for a formal greeting upon such an arrival by which the crewman will blow a specialized whistle in a stylized manner. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; TNG: "All Good Things..."; VOY: "Alliances", "Thirty Days")
• Ship's captain, captain, master, shipmaster, or skipper: typically, a merchant ship's commanding officer responsible for overseeing the overall operation of ship and crew. On naval vessels, officers below the military rank of captain were nevertheless still addressed as "captain" when commanding a ship. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; TNG: "Redemption II"; DS9: "Favor the Bold", "In the Pale Moonlight"; VOY: "Thirty Days") If more than one officer aboard a vessel held the rank of captain, those who were not the commanding officer could choose not to be addressed by this rank at their discretion. (DIS: "Anomaly (DIS)")
• Chief engineer: person responsible for the physical components and operational systems of a ship including and especially that of propulsion. (ENT: "Minefield")
• Ship's cook, cook, or chef: one who prepared meals. (TOS: "The Naked Time"; TNG: "Lonely Among Us"; DS9: "The Way of the Warrior", "Homefront")
• Dock master: an officer directly responsible for managing the comings and goings of vessels in his/her assigned berth. (ENT: "Affliction"; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
• First mate or first officer: the officer who was second in command of a ship directly beneath the captain; often referred to as "number one", "executive officer", or simply "exec" or "XO". The first officer was responsible for ensuring the captain's orders were carried out to his/her specifications and could be considered the chief pilot of a vessel, as navigation orders generally were relayed through the first officer.
• Helmsman: a crewmember who was in direct control of a vessel's course and speed, and making adjustments as directed by the duty conn officer or captain.
• Lookout
• Midshipman
• Pilot
• Quartermaster
• Sailor
• Steward: a manager of goods and functions aboard a ship.
• Yeoman: an assistant to senior officers.

See also

• Castaway
• Dockmaster
• Dock worker
• Fisherman
• Merchant Marine
• Mutineer
• Oyster pirate
• Pirate
• Privateer
• Whale hunter

Orders

• Abandon ship
• Battle stations: ship's crew reported to their assigned combat duty stations; could also refer to the location where a particular crewman reported for combat duty.
• Belay
• Flank speed: the fastest speed a ship was capable of, pushing its engines to their maximum output.
• General quarters: a state of alert aboard ship.
• Hail: to call, invite, or beckon, initiate means of communication.
• Heave: (TAS: "The Terratin Incident"; Star Trek: Insurrection; DS9: "Rocks and Shoals")
• Ready: to prepare something for immediate potential use.
• Secure: to check to see that something was properly "stowed" or otherwise in its proper place or condition. (Example: to "secure" a door/hatch would be to ensure that it was properly closed and/or locked; to "secure" a room would be to see to it that everything within was properly stowed, or alternately that it was properly locked up.); Also meaning "to Secure" as in ensure tactically sound conditions of readiness such as free from intruders, potential enemies.
• Stow: to place goods or belongings in their appropriate storage areas.

Other terminology

• Berth: an allotted space for a ship to dock. Also a place for a bed/sleeping for personnel aboard a ship
• Damage control: the act or task of performing emergency repairs to parts of a ship damaged by combat or accident.
• Decommission: to retire, or discontinue a ship's service life.
• Dock: to place the ship into a facility where it is secured for repair, service or rest.
• Jury rigging: to cobble a repair using whatever means are available.
• Leave: an approved absence from duty usually for rest and relaxation or convalescence.
• Mooring: to attach the ship to a fixed berth or dock to prevent drifting and keep secure.
• Mothball
• Mother ship: A primary ship whose capability is to carry or serve smaller ships within or in proximity to itself
• Tacking: to change course by turning into the wind, or other natural propellant (e.g. light) (DS9: "Explorers", "Tacking Into the Wind")
• Watch: a duty shift.

Ships

Ship-board facilities

• Bay: a stowage facility for auxiliary vessels, consumables, or goods such as "shuttlebay" or "cargo bay".
• Bridge: the main command center of a ship where course was set and essential operations of the ship were monitored.
• Brig: a secure area where prisoners were held.
• Engine room: area that contained the ship's engines and power generators.
• Flight deck: an alternate term for launch/landing area (also called a "shuttlebay").
• Hangar deck: an alternate term for small craft storage (also called a "shuttlebay").
• Head: the bathroom facilities on board a ship.
• Mess: the dining facilities on board a ship
• Quarters: sleeping area(s) for the crew.
• Ship's hold: a location where cargo was held
• Sickbay: the ship's hospital; called an infirmary on planet- or base-side facilities.

Relative on-board positions

Port side view of a D'deridex-class warbird

Starboard side view of a Galaxy-class starship

• Bow, stem, fore: the forward end of a vessel. (ENT: "Fortunate Son")
• Amidships or midship: the middle of a ship. (ENT: "Fight or Flight"; TOS: "Balance of Terror", "Elaan of Troyius")
• Port: the left side of a vessel when facing forward. (ENT: "Breaking the Ice", "Fortunate Son")
• Starboard: the right side of a vessel when facing forward. (ENT: "Breaking the Ice", "Fortunate Son", "The Catwalk")
• Stern, aft: the rear end of a vessel. (ENT: "Fortunate Son", "The Catwalk")

Display graphic, highlighting the dorsal side of a Sovereign-class starship

Display graphic, highlighting the ventral side of a Sovereign-class starship

• Dorsal: the top of a vessel.
  • During Shinzon's attack on the USS Enterprise-E in 2379, the starship's dorsal shielding failed as the result of a focused attack. (Star Trek Nemesis)

• Topside (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")

• Ventral: the bottom of a vessel.
  • The ventral plating team stated they would be finished with their work on Enterprise NX-01 in three days in April 2151. (ENT: "Broken Bow")
  • During Shinzon's attack on the Enterprise-E in 2379, all ventral phasers were fired in a single maneuver. In addition, the starship's ventral shielding failed on deck 29 as the result of a focused attack. (Star Trek Nemesis)

Operational components

• Anchor: A heavy weight meant to keep a ship from drifting
• Ballast
• Bulkhead: A wall within a ship meant to define room parameters and act as structural support and rigidity
• Compass: A navigational tool that uses magnetic pole locations to situate directional heading
• Deck: a floor or level of a ship usually oriented horizontally; often used to describe the walking surface of floors within a ship or the outermost habitable section of a ship.
• Hatch: A door; usually one that can be sealed off from a hostile environment.
• Keel
• Porthole: A window for outside view
• Rudder
• Sails
  • Brace
  • Course
  • Jib
  • Main sail
  • Royal
  • Spritsail
  • Stunsail
• Sextant
• Ship's bell
• Spar
  • Mast
  • Yardarm
• Turret: A rotatable weapons mount that permits a given weapon to fire in the direction it can rotate or move
• Wheel
  • Manual steering column

Navigation

Piloting

• Course: the direction of travel of a ship or object; courses could be described by destination ("Set course for Starbase 375…"), by heading (see below), or by bearing (see below).

• To set a course was to either (as an order) command the ship to be turned to that course, or (as an action) to actually turn the ship to the prescribed course.

• Azimuth
• Bearing: the direction of an object in relation to the ship's heading; the ship's direction was automatically assumed to be zero and the vector of the other ship's angle was calculated in two 360° arcs that described the object's position along the horizontal and vertical planes of a vessel. The position was described using the horizontal angle in degrees, followed by that of the vertical plane, both measurements separated by the word "mark." (TNG: "Datalore")
• Heading: the direction of the ship in relation to the center of the galaxy broken down into a 360° arc on the X-axis (yaw); another 360° arc was the direction separated by saying "mark", which was the Y axis (pitch). For example, if a commander of a starship wanted a heading of 180 mark 0, he'd want to turn the ship to the southernmost section of the galaxy while keeping the Y axis of the ship parallel to the plane of the galaxy.

Sometimes a crewman reported the bearing of a ship or object or the heading of the ship with inconsistent numbers, like "heading 12 mark 820", which was an overlooked error by the writers of the show.

Graphical representation of Pitch, roll, and yaw

• Pitch: The orientation of a ship's bow and aft ends respectively (up and down).
• Roll: The orientation of the ventral and dorsal sides of the ship respectively.
• Yaw: The orientation of the port and starboard sides of the ship respectively (side to side).

Measurements

• Knot: a measure of velocity, equal to one nautical mile per hour
• Nautical mile: a measure of distance

Maneuvers

• Circumnavigation
• Back full / full astern: Full speed in reverse (TOS: "Balance of Terror"; TNG: "Relics", "Descent")
• Closing: the act of approaching a particular place or object, typically another ship.
• Come about: an order to change course to that given after the order.
• Collision course: a course designed to make the ship assuming the course collide with a particular target, often another ship.

• Ramming speed: the fastest speed a ship could attain while still retaining sufficient maneuverability to remain on a collision course with a target.

• Conic intersection flight path: a course designed to bring one ship close to another in a way that was not intended to appear threatening to the other vessel; such a course was used by the USS Enterprise to approach V'Ger in the mid-2270s. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
• Docking maneuvers: maneuvers that allowed a ship to to physically link up with another other body (typically at airlocks), or to allow a ship to be brought into its slip in a dock, or to bring a small craft into its bay.
• En route, on course: referred to a vessel proceeding on course to a destination.
• Evasive course or maneuver: one designed to allow the ship to either miss or be missed by another object. Often an Order for a ship to move in such a way to evade a potentially hazardous impact or maneuver to avoid enemy weapons.

Evasive maneuvers were either given as course changes or as a set of changes called a "pattern". The Starfleet "Pattern Delta" was a maneuver that involved rocking a starship hard, from port to starboard, to shake pursuing starships. (DS9: "Shattered Mirror")

• The use of hard prefacing a direction change, as in "hard aport", indicated to the helmsman that the maneuver was to be made as rapidly and severely as the ship was capable of doing.
• Intercept course: a course designed to directly and quickly approach another ship.
• Rendezvous : to meet another vessel at a predetermined place and time.
• Station keeping or station-keeping: referred to a starship or other spacecraft maintaining a constant position in space relative to another object; this was typically performed using maneuvering thrusters. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture; TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", "Remember Me")
• Steady, steady as she goes, steady as we go, steady as you go, or steady on (that): To stay on course. (TOS: "The Naked Time", "Balance of Terror", "The Enemy Within", "Court Martial", "Metamorphosis", "The Deadly Years", "Spectre of the Gun", "The Cage", "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", "The Menagerie, Part I"; TAS: "Beyond the Farthest Star", "The Pirates of Orion"; Star Trek: The Motion Picture; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", "The Arsenal of Freedom", "Heart of Glory", "The Emissary", "Imaginary Friend"; DS9: "For the Uniform", "In Purgatory's Shadow", "Valiant"; VOY: "Parallax", "Night", "Bliss", "Dark Frontier")

Relative positions

Abeam

• Abeam: the relative bearing at a right angle to the central line of a ship's keel.
  • In 2365, Worf announced that the "probe is standing abeam," meaning that it was steady alongside the USS Enterprise-D. (TNG: "The Emissary")
  • In 2370, upon locating the abandoned and self-driven USS Rio Grande traveling at warp through space, Kira Nerys ordered Jadzia Dax to plot an intercept course, and "once we're abeam, match our speeds exactly and I'll transport over." (DS9: "Paradise")

• Alongside: to be "alongside" another ship was to be positioned next to it (typically "abeam") and moving in the same direction and speed; to order a helmsman to "bring us alongside" was to order him to assume this position regarding another vessel.

• Ahead, forward of the bow
• Aboard: meaning that/whom is inside the ship such as a person or object.
• Aport (TOS: "Elaan of Troyius"; DS9: "The Search, Part II", "The Adversary", "Starship Down", "Bar Association")
• Ashore: Off ship; as used on spacefaring vessels, it usually referred to planets or spacedocks. (TOS: "Court Martial", "Shore Leave", "Dagger of the Mind", "Arena", "A Taste of Armageddon", "Bread and Circuses")
• Astern
• Outboard

Shore locations and facilities

• Berth
• Harbor
• Lighthouse

• Lighthouse of Alexandria

• Port: a location where personnel and goods could be transferred to and from a ship while not under way; frequently, construction and repair facilities could be found in these type of ports; also known as a "base" or "yard".

• Drydock: a specific type of dock where ships were protected from typical external environments where they could be repaired or constructed.

• Docking berth: a place in a port where a ship could be secured. May have also be known as a "dock" or a "slip".

• Shipyard: A construction facility where ships were built.

• Wharf: A level facility to which ships can moor for the loading and unloading of goods, cargo and personnel.

Phrases

The following is a list of primarily nautical idioms, slang, or other figures of speech.

"Abandon ship"

An order for all hands to evacuate a vessel due to an imminent catastrophic event which threatened to destroy the ship. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; TNG: "11001001", et al; DS9: "Emissary", et al; VOY: "Projections", et al; Star Trek; Star Trek Beyond)

"Able-bodied crewmen"

Healthy crewmembers capable of performing their duties.

• (TOS: "The Man Trap"; TNG: "Rascals"; DS9: "What You Leave Behind")

"Above board"

On or above the deck; also a metaphor for honesty where information is in plain view, not hiding anything.

• (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?"; VOY: "Prime Factors")

"Adrift"

Floating freely in space, possibly damaged, with no pilot in control at the helm or propulsion system inoperable. (TNG: "The Battle", "Elementary, Dear Data", "Yesterday's Enterprise", "Suddenly Human", "Night Terrors", "Hero Worship", "Time's Arrow", "Ship In A Bottle", "Phantasms", "Force of Nature", "Genesis", Star Trek: First Contact; DS9: "Return to Grace", "In the Cards", "Valiant", "Treachery, Faith and the Great River", "Chimera"; VOY: "Macrocosm", "Unity", "The Raven", "Hunters", "Hope and Fear", "The Fight", "One Small Step", "Ashes to Ashes", "Flesh and Blood", "The Void"; ENT: "Dear Doctor", "Shuttlepod One", "Desert Crossing", "Judgment", "Anomaly (ENT)", "The Forgotten", "The Council", "United")

"(Run) aground"

• (ENT: "Anomaly (ENT)"; VOY: "Bride of Chaotica!")

"Ahead full"

To move a ship in a course at its fullest speed in its front oriented direction.

• (TOS: "Mudd's Women", "Obsession"; TNG: "Relics"; DS9: "Tacking Into the Wind")

"Ahoy"

A greeting.

• (LD: "Crisis Point")

"All hands"

A collective term for all personnel aboard a starship or starbase. A ship-wide announcement could be addressed to "all hands." A ship that had been lost with no survivors was said to have been "lost with all hands." (TOS: "A Piece of the Action"; TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise"; DS9: "Broken Link")

• After Jonathan Archer did some research in the Vulcan database, he corrected T'Pol's information that the T'Plana was lost with all hands. Archer also used the term "all hands" three times when informing the crew about new information. (ENT: "The Catwalk")
• In 2155 in the mirror universe, Captain Maximilian Forrest ordered all hands on the ISS Enterprise to escape pods and to abandon ship as the ship took heavy damage from an attack by Tholians. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly") Later, Captain Jonathan Archer ordered all hands to battle stations on the USS Defiant as the ship intercepted a battle between the ISS Avenger and a group of four rebel starships. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II")
• In 2268, Lieutenant Nyota Uhura ordered all hands to battle stations on the USS Enterprise when the ship received a priority 1 distress call. (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles")
• In 2293, Captain Hikaru Sulu ordered all hands to battle stations on the USS Excelsior during an attack by Kang's K't'inga-class battle cruiser. (VOY: "Flashback")
• In 2368, when the USS Enterprise-D was trapped in a temporal causality loop, Commander William T. Riker ordered all hands to emergency escape pods. Not long after this, Captain Picard ordered all hands to abandon ship just before a warp core breach. Both orders ended up being repeated a number of times with each successive iteration of the loop. (TNG: "Cause And Effect")
• In 2371, Captain Picard called for all hands to make sail during a celebration on the holodeck on a simulated ship in which Worf was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander. Not long after this, Commander Riker was forced to issue a far more serious order, calling all hands to battle stations on the Enterprise-D after it received a distress call from the Amargosa observatory reporting that they were under attack. Not long after this, he ordered all hands to brace for impact prior to the ship's saucer section crashing on Veridian III. (Star Trek Generations)
• That same year, Lieutenant Tuvok warned all hands on the USS Voyager to brace for impact just before the ship was swiped by the tail of a space-dwelling lifeform. (VOY: "Elogium")
• In 2373, Commander Chakotay ordered all hands aboard Voyager to brace for impact as a subspace shock wave from a supernova approached the ship. (VOY: "The Q and the Grey")
• That same year, Commander William T. Riker ordered all hands to battle stations on the USS Enterprise-E as they prepared to head to the Battle of Sector 001. (Star Trek: First Contact)
• That same year, when Commander Chakotay realized that the translocation by the Nyrians to the USS Voyager was most likely a ploy to take control of the ship, he issued a security alert to all hands, though there were only twelve other crewmen on board at the time. (VOY: "Displaced")
• In an alternate 2374, Captain Kathryn Janeway warned all hands on the USS Voyager to brace for impact prior to the ship's being hit by a spatial distortion from the Krenim weapon ship which altered history. In this new altered history, during an attack by the Krenim in the Year of Hell, Captain Kathryn Janeway declared "All hands, battle stations. This is turning into the Week of Hell." Later, during that same alternate timeline, Commander Chakotay ordered all hands to battle stations prior to another Krenim attack. Following this, Janeway again ordered all hands to brace for impact prior to the ship's being hit by a distortion from the weapon ship, which this time had no effect due to the vessel's new temporal shielding. (VOY: "Year of Hell")
• That same year, Captain Janeway ordered all hands to battle stations during an apparent attack on Voyager by the Dream Aliens. The event, however, was actually a fiction created as part of a collective unconsciousness to trick the Voyager crew into believing they were still awake. (VOY: "Waking Moments")
• Also that year, Cadet / Acting Commander Karen Farris called all hands to battle stations on the USS Valiant prior to the ship's beginning shadowing a Jem'Hadar battleship. (DS9: "Valiant")
• In 2375, Commander Chakotay ordered all hands to battle stations prior to an engagement with a Borg sphere. (VOY: "Drone")
• In 2376, Captain Rudolph Ransom ordered all hands to battle stations on the USS Equinox prior to an engagement with Voyager. (VOY: "Equinox, Part II")
• In Lieutenant Tuvok's Insurrection Alpha holoprogram, Commander Chakotay's statement "Chakotay to all hands. Let's do it." was his signal to begin a Maquis mutiny on board Voyager. (VOY: "Worst Case Scenario")
• In 3189, when Captain Saru requested a status report, Lieutenant Joann Owosekun reported that all hands were ready for the spore drive jump to Ni'Var. (DIS: "Unification III")

"All stop"; "full stop"

An order given aboard a vessel to stop all engines from moving either fore or aft. Often answered with "Answering all stop, captain", "Reading all stop, sir", or even just "aye sir".

• Jean-Luc Picard gave an "all stop" order to Wesley Crusher when the USS Enterprise-D encountered the "Tin Man". (TNG: "Tin Man")
• Jean-Luc Picard gave an "all stop" order to Wesley Crusher when the USS Enterprise-D encountered K'mpec's attack cruiser. (TNG: "Reunion")
• Jean-Luc Picard gave the order multiple times after various attempts to remove themselves from the gravitational wake of a mass of two-dimensional beings. (TNG: "The Loss")
• William T. Riker gave an "all stop" order to Wesley Crusher when after scanning the Enterprise-D it was determined that Jean-Luc Picard was no longer on board. (TNG: "Q Who")

"Anchor's aweigh"

A response to the order that the anchor had be lifted, often used to announce a vessel's readiness for immediate departure.

• Tom Paris, who was excited to use "sailor talk", used the expression when he received confirmation that the immersion shielding was ready aboard the Delta Flyer to launch USS Voyager and plunge itself into the Waters. (VOY: "Thirty Days")

"Attention on deck"

• (TNG: "Redemption")

"Aye"; "aye, sir"; "aye, aye, sir"; "aye, aye, captain"; "aye, aye, doc(tor)"

An acknowledgment of an order.

• One "aye" for the acknowledgment. (ENT: "Terra Nova", "The Andorian Incident", "Breaking the Ice", "Fortunate Son", "The Catwalk")
• Two "aye"s for acknowledgment and carrying out of order. Commander Riker believed that only one "aye" was sufficient for both. (TNG: "Lower Decks")

In formal usage, a single "aye" would be preceded by a cite-back of the just given order to confirm comprehension, as in "standard orbit, aye sir." such as in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

"Batten down the hatches"

To secure a ship for inclement weather or hazardous conditions; to inform the crew to act within parameters maximizing ship and crew safety.

• (TOS: "Plato's Stepchildren"; TAS: "The Practical Joker"; VOY: "Flashback", "Once Upon a Time", "Fair Haven")

"Below decks"

To be under the decks; often used in naval terms for the decks of a ship below the waterline where less prominent but essential services were performed.

• (TOS: "Day of the Dove"; DS9: "Visionary")

"Bilge"

• (TNG: "Up The Long Ladder")

"Blow the hatch"

• (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

"Bon voyage"

French litertally translated as "Well Trip" a old custom for wishing one a safe/enjoyable trip

• See: Bon voyage

"Breach"

A damaged area of ship's hull whereby exposed to hazard external environments

• See: Hull breach

"Brine in the veins"

A Monean expression "used to describe someone who has special connection to the Waters."

• In the case of Burkus, his family had lived in the Waters for ten generations, as such, "We protected this ocean, cultivated it, lived in harmony with the animals that inhabit it." (VOY: "Thirty Days")

"By your leave"

• (TNG: "Up The Long Ladder")

"(Captain goes) down with the ship"

An adage of maritime custom whereby a ship's captain is honor bound for the responsibility of the ship and those embarking; whereby the crew/passengers are given priority and captain forgoes departure to be the last person to leave the ship barring a potential sinking, catastrophe or total destruction. (TNG: "Symbiosis"; DS9: "Rocks and Shoals")

• A variation on that theme was stated by Admiral Kirk to Saavik, following her failed attempt at the Kobiyashi Maru scenario. Following the departure of the trainee crew she remained to discuss her performance with Kirk, who upon initially noticing her asked, "Well, Mister Saavik, are you going to stay with the sinking ship?" (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
• Kathryn Janeway considered this one of three things to remember about being a starship captain. (VOY: "Year of Hell, Part II", "Dark Frontier")

"Careening"

• (VOY: "Good Shepherd")

"Clean bill of health"

A medical official providing guarantee the examined patient is healthy, therefore capable of performing their duty

• (ENT: "The Crossing"; TOS: "The Way to Eden"; DS9: "Whispers"; VOY: "Darkling", "Scorpion", "The Fight", "Critical Care", "Renaissance Man")

"Clear the bridge"

To have all bridge crew or just non-essential personnel leave the bridge. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; TNG: "Half a Life"; DS9: "Once More Unto the Breach")

"Come about"

To change direction, usually opposite of present course

• (TOS: "The Enterprise Incident", et al.)

"Come to"

"Cut and run"

• (ENT: "Storm Front")

"Dead ahead"; "dead astern"

• (ENT: "Broken Bow", "Silent Enemy", "Impulse"; TOS: "Court Martial", "The Squire of Gothos", et al.)
• (ENT: "Silent Enemy"; TNG: "The Arsenal of Freedom", "Where Silence Has Lease")

"Dead in the water"

Ship is unable to move; due to circumstance.

• (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Star Trek Nemesis, TNG: "Brothers", VOY: "Demon", et al.)

"Disembark"; "permission to disembark"

To leave the ship or station.

• (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver", "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"; TNG: "Liaisons"; DS9: "A Man Alone", "Tribunal", "Improbable Cause"; ENT: "Sleeping Dogs"; TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II", "Half a Life"; Star Trek Nemesis; DS9: "Emissary", "The Circle")

"Flagship"

A ship in a fleet primarily serving as the command vessel carrying the highest ranking commanding officer (usually admiral)

• See: Flagship

"From stem to stern"; "from bow to stern"

The full length of a ship, from front to back; generally used in terms of defining the full ship. (TOS: "The Squire of Gothos"; VOY: "Waking Moments", "Hunters", "Hope and Fear"; TAS: "The Practical Joker"; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

"Gangway"

• (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

"Give way"

To yield in order for someone/something else to move

• (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver"; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; TNG: "Disaster")

"Hand over fist"

To do so in quick fashion

• (DS9: "It's Only a Paper Moon", "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang")

"Have the conn"; "take the conn"

To take control of a ship's maneuvering controls. The conn was a line officer who was in command of the bridge. During the 23rd century, the phrase was utilized in the traditional sense, where the following officers were said to have had the conn:

• Arex (TAS: "Once Upon a Planet")
• Pavel Chekov (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)
• Will Decker (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
• William T. Riker (TNG: "Code of Honor")
• Montgomery Scott (TOS: "A Private Little War", "A Piece of the Action", "The Tholian Web", "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky", "Wink of an Eye", "The Mark of Gideon", "The Way to Eden", "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" (inferred); TAS: "The Survivor")
• Saavik (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
• Spock (TOS: "Elaan of Troyius", "That Which Survives", "The Cloud Minders"; TAS: "The Survivor" (x3); Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
• Hikaru Sulu (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow"; TAS: "The Pirates of Orion"; Star Trek: The Motion Picture (x2); Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

During the 24th century, it was said in reference to the conn officer or the actual helm itself, where the following officers have been said to have the conn (position):

• Chakotay (VOY: "Prototype")
• Mark Jameson (TNG: "Too Short A Season")
• Jean-Luc Picard (TNG: "11001001")
• Natasha Yar (TNG: "Hide And Q")

"Heave to"

To come to a stop.

• (TNG: "The Outrageous Okona")

"Hit the deck"

Order/warning for one to immediately drop oneself as low as possible due to a avoid or prepare for a potential impact, danger or hazard. On land it is referred to as "Hit the Dirt"

• (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

"Irons"

Metal shackles/cuffs meant to restrain a potentially dangerous person

• See: Irons

"Keelhauling"

A ancient form of punishment in martime days. To punish severly.

• See: Keelhauling

"Landlubber"

Someone unfamiliar with the sea.

• Gillian Taylor described Kirk as a "landlubber" when she heard that the alleged admiral was from Iowa. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

"Leading edge"

• (TOS: "Court Martial"; VOY: "Time and Again", "Real Life", "Once Upon a Time", "Fair Haven")

"Learn the ropes"

To understand the basic work performed.

• (VOY: "Fair Trade")

"Listing"

When a vessel began to roll or lean too much to one side, which could lead to a ship capsizing.

• Captain Pavel Chekov noted that the Klingon Empire's flagship, Kronos One, was still listing after it was struck by a photon torpedo that appeared to have been fired from the USS Enterprise-A. Upon viewing the scene, Captain Kirk added that "she's spinning out of control." (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

"Long shot"

A difficult circumstance to achieve. A potential solution that has low probability of success.

• (TNG: "The Arsenal of Freedom", "The Neutral Zone", "Ship In A Bottle", "The Chase", "Gambit, Part I", et al.)

"Loose cannon"

One who is highly unpredictable or uncontrollable, refuses to abide by rules and is therefore a potential danger to others.

• (TNG: "Chain Of Command, Part I", LD: "Crisis Point")

"Maiden voyage"

The First trip of a vessel in its intended duty, often the very first deployment after its construction.

• See: Maiden voyage

"Make sail"; "set sail"

To prepare a vessel for its given destination.

• (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; Star Trek Generations)

"Man overboard"

• (VOY: "Basics, Part I"; ENT: "Proving Ground")

"Mothball(s)"

Ship is decommissioned/retired from service but stored in a state of conducted maintenance should the need arise to put the ship into service once again.

• Following the cancellation of the NX Project in 2143, Commander Jonathan Archer urged Commander A.G. Robinson not to give up and let Starfleet Command put NX-Beta in mothballs, when they were so close to breaking the warp 3 barrier. (ENT: "First Flight")

• In early 2154, Hernandez asked Jonathan Archer, who was arguing against continued space exploration, if he thought Starfleet should "put our starships in mothballs". Archer said that they should be put to use defending Earth instead. (ENT: "Home")

• Following the signing of the Federation Charter in 2161, T'Pol informed Captain Archer that Admiral Douglas was asking for Archer's approval for begin the decommission protocols from Enterprise NX-01. Archer asked that they finish one thing at a time, and that "after the charter's signed, I'll give him whatever he needs to put Enterprise in mothballs." Prior to this, Trip Tucker wished to purge the injectors on the ship, but Malcolm Reed didn't see the point, as the ship was going to be "joining the mothball fleet" the following week. (ENT: "These Are the Voyages...")

• During the initial phase of discussions with the Klingon Empire, following the destruction of Praxis in 2293, Spock indicated that negotiations would soon be beginning for the "dismantling of our space stations and starbases along the Neutral Zone"… One of the Starfleet military aides inquired "are we talking about mothballing the Starfleet?" The commander-in-chief, Admiral Bill, however assured here that "I'm sure that our exploration and scientific programs would be unaffected." (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

• The decommissioned USS Enterprise-A was in mothballs at the time of the USS Jenolen's disappearance in 2294. (TNG: "Relics")

• In alternate 2422, Captain Nog helped Jake Sisko round up the old crew of Deep Space 9 and pulled the USS Defiant out of mothballs, on a mission to rescue Benjamin Sisko from being trapped within a temporal displacement. (DS9: "The Visitor")

"Mother ship"

• See: Mother ship

"Now hear this"

A term used to preface ship-wide announcements aboard Starfleet starships to call the listener's attention. The announcer then issued orders to the entire crew or directed an individual crewmember to report to a particular location. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

The phrase was used by Captain Jean-Luc Picard on at least two occasions during the Farpoint Mission in 2364 (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint") and by an unidentified crewmember on board the USS Enterprise-D in the alternate timeline in which the Federation was at war with the Klingon Empire. (TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise")

"Old salt"

A seasoned sailor.

• When Tom Paris took immense interest in USS Voyager's discovery of the Waters, Captain Janeway took note of all his maritime knowledge, telling him that she "had no idea you were such an old salt." (VOY: "Thirty Days")

"(Admiral) on deck"; "(captain) on (the) deck"

• (DS9: "Behind the Lines"; Star Trek: Insurrection; VOY: "Good Shepherd")

"(Admiral) on the bridge"; "(captain) on the bridge"

Mentioned in the Starfleet manual; often acknowledged with "as you were", "at ease", or "carry on". (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; TNG: "The Measure Of A Man"; ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly"; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; TNG: "Chain Of Command, Part I", "Chain Of Command, Part II"; DS9: "The Adversary", "Favor the Bold", "Tears of the Prophets", "The Changing Face of Evil", "What You Leave Behind"; VOY: "The 37's", "Night", "Relativity", "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy", "Live Fast and Prosper", "Workforce"; DIS: "Such Sweet Sorrow")

• When "Captain" Harry Kim entered the bridge of the Nightingale, Terek announced his entrance. Kim inquired "Where did you learn that?" Terek explained that he'd "been studying that Starfleet manual you loaned me." (VOY: "Nightingale")

"On leave"

To be on shore leave, medical leave, or a leave of absence. (ENT: "Horizon"; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; TNG: "Samaritan Snare", "Rightful Heir"; DS9: "Tribunal", "Crossfire"; VOY: "Course: Oblivion")

• When Hoshi Sato was on leave from Starfleet in 2151, she was teaching linguistics at the Amazon University. When Jonathan Archer approached her to join Enterprise NX-01, she declined stating she had three weeks left of leave, forcing him to suggest that he could order her to return. The way she saw it, "You would have to forcibly recall me, which would require a reprimand which would disqualify me from serving on an active vessel." (ENT: "Broken Bow")

"Over a barrel"

In a helpless or dangerous position.

• (VOY: "Scorpion, Part II")

"Overbearing"

One who is obsessively controlling

• (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles"; TAS: "More Tribbles, More Troubles"; TNG: "Where No One Has Gone Before", "The Loss", "Violations"; DS9: "A Man Alone", "Q-Less", "Family Business"; VOY: "Author, Author")

"Port of call"

A port where a ship stopped.

• The USS Lantree's last port of call prior to being discovered adrift by the USS Enterprise-D was the Darwin Genetic Research Station on Gagarin IV. (TNG: "Unnatural Selection")

"Safe harbor"

• (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; DS9: "Take Me Out to the Holosuite"; VOY: "Course: Oblivion")

"Safe haven"

• (TOS: "The Enterprise Incident"; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; VOY: "Good Shepherd", "Year of Hell")

"Scuttle"

To purposely sink a ship.

• Benjamin Sisko believed that Bajoran Vedek Yarka might have been using Trakor's Third Prophecy "as a way to scuttle the peace treaty" between Bajor and Cardassia. (DS9: "Destiny")

"Scuttlebutt"

Rumors spread aboard ship.

• While visiting the USS Enterprise in 2365, Kyle Riker had heard scuttlebutt that Katherine Pulaski wanted to see him. (TNG: "The Icarus Factor")

"Sea dog"

• VOY: "Concerning Flight"
• See: Space dog

"Seaworthy"

To be worthy for service at sea.

• In order to conduct the underwater mission in the Waters, Tom Paris informed Captain Kathryn Janeway that he could make the Delta Flyer seaworthy "in not time" with only "a few simple thruster modifications." This was good news to Janeway, who otherwise explained that it would "take at least a week to make the necessary modifications" to make USS Voyager seaworthy. (VOY: "Thirty Days")
• See: Spaceworthy

"Shakedown cruise"

A ship's voyage where all its systems and hardware are monitored and the performance is measured before the ship is put into active service. Shakedown cruise is meant to test a ship's capability and address potential design flaws, maintenance issues and service errors.

• See: Shakedown cruise

"Ship out"

The Deployment of personnel from a base to a frontline or active situation

• (TOS: "Day of the Dove"; TNG: "Tapestry")

"Shipshape (and Bristol fashion)"

Term meaning "everything in perfect order". (TNG: "The Icarus Factor", "Final Mission"; VOY: "Prophecy")

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard used the term to describe Lieutenant Geordi La Forge's model of the original HMS Victory. (TNG: "Elementary, Dear Data")

"Shore leave"

An allotted timeframe whereby a ship's personnel are permitted to leave the ship for recreational pursuits

• See: Shore leave

"Shove off"

To literally shove a boat off of or away from the shore, ship, or dock.

• Tom Paris, who was excited about using "sailor talk", used the expression when he encountered Harry Kim in the corridor prior to the Delta Flyer's departure into the Waters. (VOY: "Thirty Days")

"Show the flag"

To make an official visit to a foreign port.

• On more than one occasion, Captain Benjamin Sisko set the USS Defiant to different borders to show the flag. (DS9: "The Adversary", "For the Cause")
• When USS Voyager approached the Numiri-Banean war zone, while en route to Banea, Captain Kathryn Janeway opted to take Voyager itself in because "the stakes are too high to send a shuttlecraft this time. I want to show our flag to make it clear we mean business." (VOY: "Ex Post Facto")

"Silent running"

To operate in a stealthy/covert manner to avoid detection

• (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; TNG: "The Wounded"; DS9: "Whispers")

"Skeleton crew"

A bare minimum crew attachment capable of running a ship. A reduced workforce

• (TOS: "Requiem for Methuselah"; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II", "Silicon Avatar", "Descent", "Descent, Part II"; DS9: "Invasive Procedures", "The Reckoning"; VOY: "Displaced", "Equinox")

"Smooth sailing"

Ideal conditions with no difficulty

• ENT: "Affliction"; DS9: "Explorers", "Children of Time"

"Son of a gun"

Originally referred to a son being born of questionable legitimacy between the ship's cannons; it later became a euphemistic variation of "son of a bitch." [1]

• When Worf demanded that Vic Fontaine "Sing!", Vic got the message and said to the band, "Son of a gun, I think he means it." (DS9: "Image in the Sand")
• Later, when Vic realized what time it was and caught himself being late, he told Nog, "Oh, son of a gun. I got to get ready for the show." (DS9: "It's Only a Paper Moon")

Space legs is a term derived from the naval phrase sea legs.

"(On) (hot) standby"

To prepare an individual or item for potential use.

• (DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels")

"Stores"

cargo storage aboard a ship, namely the necessary equipment/parts and resources to keep it up and running

• See: Ship's store

"Struck the sails"

• DS9: "Invasive Procedures"

"To the bitter end"

• (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint"; DS9: "Blaze of Glory", "Afterimage", "Extreme Measures")

"Toe the line"

Conform to rule/authority

• (TNG: "The Quality of Life")

"Truss"

• (VOY: "Spirit Folk")

"Turn a blind eye to (something)"

To willfully ignore

• (TNG: "The Maquis, Part I", "In the Pale Moonlight"; Star Trek: Insurrection; VOY: "Tsunkatse")

"Under the weather"

Ill/sick

• (ENT: "Unexpected", "Home"; VOY: "Infinite Regress"

"Under way"

The condition of a ship moving under its own power.

• (TOS: "Metamorphosis", "I, Mudd"; TNG: "Angel One", "The Outcast", "The Next Phase", "Chain Of Command, Part I", "Phantasms"; DS9: "Invasive Procedures"; VOY: "Initiations")

"Walk the plank"

A old maritime form of punishment whereby one was slowly forced off the ship's edge presumably for execution. Later used as a euphamism for threat of substantial reprisal or punishment.

• See: Walk the plank

"(Warning) shot (across the bow)"

The use of a weapon in the direction of a target, but not intended to hit the target. This could be done for many reasons, but was commonly done to send the message that direct fire would occur if the target did not give an appropriate response. (ENT: "Unexpected", "Minefield"; TOS: "The Lights of Zetar"; TNG: "The Survivors"; DS9: "Armageddon Game", "The Way of the Warrior"; VOY: "Night", "Dark Frontier")

• According to Ambassador Soval, Vulcans usually did not fire warning shots. (ENT: "Awakening")

• See: Vulcan Hello
• A type 3 stealth assault involved firing a warning shot at a targeted vessel to force it to comply with the demands of the Hierarchy vessel employing the tactic. (VOY: "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy")

"Wide berth"

Term instructing a pilot to avoid or make sure adequate space is given for other ships to pass. Also a personal term meaning to give someone a degree of personal space. (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer"; TNG: "Samaritan Snare"; DS9: "The Search, Part II", "The Adversary", "The Way of the Warrior"; VOY: "Infinite Regress"; ENT: "Dead Stop")

"Women and children first"

Admonition for the more vulnerable passengers of the ship to evacuate before the able-bodied grown men. (TOS: "I, Mudd")

External link

• Glossary of nautical terms at Wikipedia