Glossary
Glossary of terms used in the Royal Navy
Glossary Categories
Organisation Terms
Reference material relating to Royal Navy command structure, ranks, appointments, and administrative terminology associated with leadership, authority, and naval organisation.
Parts of a Ship
Reference material covering the principal structural components of naval vessels, including the main features of hull construction, deck arrangement, and shipboard terminology used in the Royal Navy.
Glossary A–Z
A
- Able Seaman (Organisation Terms)
- Acting Sub-Lieutenant (Naval Ranks)
- Active Sonar (Naval Technology)
- Admiral (Naval Ranks)
- Admiral of the Fleet (Naval Ranks)
- Admiralty (Organisation Terms)
- Admiralty Board (Naval Law & Administration)
- Admiralty Law (Naval Law & Administration)
- Age of Sail (Naval History)
- Aircraft Carrier (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Aircraft Carrier (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Albion-class Landing Platform Dock (Ship Classes)
- Amphibious Assault Ship (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Amphibious Operation (Naval Warfare)
- Anchor (Ship Operations)
- Anti-Aircraft Gun (Naval Technology)
- Anti-Submarine Warfare (Naval Technology)
- Ark Royal-class Carrier (Ship Classes)
- Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer (Ship Classes)
- Armor-Piercing Shell (Gunnery Terms)
- Armour Belt (Naval Technology)
- Articles of Discipline (Naval Law & Administration)
- Articles of War (Naval Life)
- Astute-class Submarine (Ship Classes)
- Atago-class Destroyer (Ship Classes)
- Attack Submarine (Ship & Fleet Terms)
B
- Ballast (Ship Operations)
- Ballistic Missile Submarine (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Barbette (Gunnery Terms)
- Battle Damage (Naval Warfare)
- Battle Group (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Battleship (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Bay-class Landing Ship (Ship Classes)
- Beam (Parts of a Ship)
- Bearing (Navigation Terms)
- Beaufort Scale (Seamanship)
- Bilge (Parts of a Ship)
- Bismarck-class Battleship (Ship Classes)
- Blast Radius (Gunnery Terms)
- Blockade (Naval Warfare)
- Blockade Running (Naval Warfare)
- Blue Water Navy (Naval Strategy)
- Boarding Action (Naval Warfare)
- Bosun (Boatswain) (Organisation Terms)
- Bow (Parts of a Ship)
- Bridge (Ship Operations)
- Broadside (Gunnery Terms)
- Broadside Weight (Gunnery Terms)
- Brown Water Navy (Naval Strategy)
- Bulkhead (Parts of a Ship)
C
- Cabin (Naval) (Naval Life)
- Cap Tally (Naval Life)
- Capital Ship (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Captain (RN) (Naval Ranks)
- Carrier Strike Group (Naval Warfare)
- Carronade (Gunnery Terms)
- Celestial Navigation (Navigation Terms)
- Chain of Authority (Naval Law & Administration)
- Chain of Command (Command Structure)
- Chain of Legal Authority (Naval Law & Administration)
- Chain Shot (Gunnery Terms)
- Chaplain (Naval Ranks)
- Chart (Navigation Terms)
- Chief Petty Officer (Naval Ranks)
- Chokepoint (Maritime) (Naval Strategy)
- Chronometer (Navigation Terms)
- Citadel (Warship) (Naval Technology)
- Cleat (Ship Operations)
- Close Action (Naval Warfare)
- Close-In Weapon System (Naval Technology)
- Cold War Navy (Naval History)
- Colours (Naval) (Naval Life)
- Colours Ceremony (Naval Life)
- Combat Management System (Naval Technology)
- Command of the Sea (Naval Strategy)
- Command Responsibility (Naval Law & Administration)
- Commander (Naval Ranks)
- Commanding Officer (Command Structure)
- Commerce Raiding (Naval Warfare)
- Commission (Naval) (Command Structure)
- Commissioning (Ship) (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Commodore (Naval Ranks)
- Compass (Navigation Terms)
- Convoy (Naval Warfare)
- Convoy Escort (Naval Warfare)
- Convoy System (Naval Warfare)
- Corvette (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- County-class Destroyer (Ship Classes)
- Court Martial (Naval Law & Administration)
- Coxswain (Naval Ranks)
- Crossing the Line (Naval Life)
- Crossing the T (Naval Warfare)
- Cruiser (Ship & Fleet Terms)
D
- Damage Assessment (Naval Warfare)
- Damage Control (Naval Technology)
- Daring-class Destroyer (1949) (Ship Classes)
- Dead Reckoning (Navigation Terms)
- Deck (Parts of a Ship)
- Deck Armour (Naval Technology)
- Deckhand (Naval Life)
- Decommissioning (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Decoy System (Naval Technology)
- Depth Charge (Naval Technology)
- Destroyer (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Destroyer (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Detention (Naval) (Naval Law & Administration)
- Displacement (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Divisional Officer (Command Structure)
- Dog Watch (Naval Life)
- Draft (Draught) (Parts of a Ship)
- Dreadnought Era (Naval History)
- Drift (Navigation Terms)
- Dual-Purpose Gun (Naval Technology)
- Duty Officer (Command Structure)
E
- Electronic Countermeasures (Naval Technology)
- Electronic Warfare (Naval Technology)
- Engineer Officer (Naval Ranks)
- Escort Vessel (Naval Warfare)
- Essex-class Carrier (Ship Classes)
- Executive Officer (Command Structure)
F
- Fathom (Navigation Terms)
- Fire Control System (Naval Technology)
- Fire Ship (Naval Warfare)
- First Lieutenant (Naval Ranks)
- Flag Captain (Command Structure)
- Flag Officer (Organisation Terms)
- Flagship (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Fleet (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Fleet Action (Naval Warfare)
- Fleet Air Defence (Naval Warfare)
- Fleet Auxiliary (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Fleet Commander (Command Structure)
- Fleet Composition (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Fleet Doctrine (Naval Strategy)
- Fleet Engagement (Naval Warfare)
- Fleet in Being (Naval Warfare)
- Fletcher-class Destroyer (Ship Classes)
- Flight Deck (Naval Technology)
- Flogging (Naval Life)
- Flotilla (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Flower-class Corvette (Ship Classes)
- Ford-class Carrier (Ship Classes)
- Fore-and-Aft Rig (Seamanship)
- Forecastle (Parts of a Ship)
- Fort-class Support Ship (Ship Classes)
- Fragmentation (Gunnery Terms)
- Freeboard (Ship Operations)
- Frigate (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Frigate (Ship & Fleet Terms)
G
- Galley (Naval Life)
- Gearing-class Destroyer (Ship Classes)
- Grapeshot (Gunnery Terms)
- Great Circle (Navigation Terms)
- Green Water Navy (Naval Strategy)
- Grog (Naval Life)
- Gun Battery (Gunnery Terms)
- Gun Deck (Parts of a Ship)
- Gunnery Officer (Naval Ranks)
- Gunroom (Naval Life)
- Gunwale (Parts of a Ship)
H
- Hammock (Naval Life)
- Hands to Dinner (Naval Life)
- Heave To (Seamanship)
- Hedgehog (Weapon) (Naval Technology)
- Heel (Seamanship)
- Helm (Ship Operations)
- High-Explosive Shell (Gunnery Terms)
- Hull (Parts of a Ship)
- Hull Classification Symbol (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Hull-Mounted Sonar (Naval Technology)
- Hunt-class Mine Countermeasure Vessel (Ship Classes)
I
- Illustrious-class Carrier (Ship Classes)
- Impressment (Naval Life)
- Integrated Mast (Naval Technology)
- Invincible-class Carrier (Ship Classes)
- Iowa-class Battleship (Ship Classes)
- Ironclad Era (Naval History)
J
- Judge Advocate (Naval Law & Administration)
K
- Keel (Parts of a Ship)
- Keel Depth (Seamanship)
- Keelhauling (Naval Life)
- Keelson (Parts of a Ship)
- King’s Regulations (Naval Law & Administration)
- Kirov-class Battlecruiser (Ship Classes)
- Kongo-class Destroyer (Ship Classes)
L
- Landing Ship (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Latitude (Navigation Terms)
- Law of the Sea (Naval Law & Administration)
- Lead Ship (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Leading Seaman (Naval Ranks)
- Leander-class Frigate (Ship Classes)
- Leeward (Seamanship)
- Leeward Position (Naval Warfare)
- Leeway (Navigation Terms)
- Legal Officer (Naval Law & Administration)
- Letter of Marque (Naval Warfare)
- Liberty (Naval) (Naval Life)
- Liberty Ship (Ship Classes)
- Lieutenant (Naval Ranks)
- Lieutenant Commander (Naval Ranks)
- Line Ahead (Naval Warfare)
- Line of Battle (Naval Warfare)
- Line of Battle Ship (Naval Warfare)
- Log (Ship Log) (Navigation Terms)
- Long Gun (Gunnery Terms)
- Longitude (Navigation Terms)
- Los Angeles-class Submarine (Ship Classes)
M
- Magazine Explosion (Naval Warfare)
- Maritime Law (Naval Law & Administration)
- Maritime Strategy (Naval Strategy)
- Mast (Parts of a Ship)
- Master-at-Arms (Naval Ranks)
- Medical Officer (Naval Ranks)
- Mess (Naval Life)
- Mess Deck (Naval Life)
- Messmates (Naval Life)
- Midshipman (Parts of a Ship)
- Midshipman (Organisation Terms)
- Mine Countermeasures (Naval Technology)
- Mine Warfare (Naval Technology)
- Minehunter (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Missile System (Naval Technology)
- Modern Naval Warfare (Naval Strategy)
- Mutiny (Naval Life)
N
- Naval Administration (Naval Law & Administration)
- Naval Arms Race (Naval History)
- Naval Artillery (Naval Warfare)
- Naval Aviation (Naval Technology)
- Naval Blockade (Naval Warfare)
- Naval Campaign (Naval Warfare)
- Naval Command (Command Structure)
- Naval Command Structure (Naval Law & Administration)
- Naval Communications (Naval Technology)
- Naval Discipline (Naval Life)
- Naval Discipline Code (Naval Law & Administration)
- Naval Doctrine (Naval Strategy)
- Naval Ensign (Naval Life)
- Naval Etiquette (Naval Life)
- Naval Expedition (Naval History)
- Naval Formation (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Naval Gun System (Naval Technology)
- Naval Gunnery (Naval Warfare)
- Naval Intelligence (Naval Strategy)
- Naval Jurisdiction (Naval Law & Administration)
- Naval Justice (Naval Law & Administration)
- Naval Law (Naval Law & Administration)
- Naval Logistics (Naval Strategy)
- Naval Mine (Naval Technology)
- Naval Minefield (Naval Warfare)
- Naval Orders (Naval Law & Administration)
- Naval Prison (Naval Law & Administration)
- Naval Regulations (Naval Law & Administration)
- Naval Squadron (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Naval Staff (Command Structure)
- Naval Strategy (Naval Strategy)
- Naval Supremacy (Naval Strategy)
- Naval Tactics (Naval Strategy)
- Naval Treaty (Naval Law & Administration)
- Naval Tribunal (Naval Law & Administration)
- Naval Uniform (Naval Life)
- Navigation Officer (Naval Ranks)
- Neptune Ceremony (Naval Life)
- Nimitz-class Carrier (Ship Classes)
O
- Officer Commission (Naval Law & Administration)
- Officer of the Watch (Command Structure)
- Oiler (Naval) (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Oliver Hazard Perry-class Frigate (Ship Classes)
- Orders (Naval) (Command Structure)
P
- Passive Sonar (Naval Technology)
- Patrol Vessel (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Pennant Number (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Petty Officer (Naval Ranks)
- Phalanx CIWS (Naval Technology)
- Pilotage (Navigation Terms)
- Pipe (Bosun’s Call) (Naval Life)
- Pipe Down (Naval Life)
- Pitch (Seamanship)
- Port (Ship Operations)
- Powder Magazine (Gunnery Terms)
- Power Projection (Naval Strategy)
- Press Gang (Naval Life)
- Privateer (Naval Warfare)
- Prize Ship (Naval Warfare)
- Punishment (Naval) (Naval Law & Administration)
Q
- Quarterdeck (Parts of a Ship)
- Quartermaster (Naval Ranks)
- Queen Elizabeth-class Carrier (Ship Classes)
R
- Radar (Naval Technology)
- Raking Fire (Naval Warfare)
- Rangefinder (Naval Technology)
- Rate (Ship Rating) (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Rations (Naval) (Naval Life)
- Rear Admiral (Naval Ranks)
- Replenishment at Sea (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Rhumb Line (Navigation Terms)
- Rig (Ship) (Seamanship)
- Rigging (Parts of a Ship)
- River-class Patrol Vessel (Ship Classes)
- Roll (Seamanship)
- Round Shot (Gunnery Terms)
- Rudder (Parts of a Ship)
- Rules of Conduct (Naval Law & Administration)
- Rules of Engagement (Naval Warfare)
- Rules of Engagement (Legal) (Naval Law & Administration)
S
- Saluting (Naval) (Naval Life)
- Sandown-class Minehunter (Ship Classes)
- Satellite Navigation (Naval Technology)
- Screening Force (Naval Warfare)
- Scupper (Parts of a Ship)
- Sea Denial (Naval Strategy)
- Sea Lines of Communication (Naval Strategy)
- Sea Power (Naval Strategy)
- Sea Room (Seamanship)
- Sea Shanty (Naval Life)
- Sea State (Seamanship)
- Semaphore (Navigation Terms)
- Sextant (Navigation Terms)
- Shell (Naval) (Gunnery Terms)
- Ship Class (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Ship Classes (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Ship Types (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Ship’s Routine (Naval Life)
- Shock Damage (Naval Warfare)
- Shore Leave (Naval Life)
- Shot (Naval) (Gunnery Terms)
- Shrapnel (Gunnery Terms)
- Signal Flag (Navigation Terms)
- Signal Officer (Command Structure)
- Slava-class Cruiser (Ship Classes)
- Sonar (Naval Technology)
- Sounding (Navigation Terms)
- Soundings Chart (Navigation Terms)
- Splice the Mainbrace (Naval Life)
- Spruance-class Destroyer (Ship Classes)
- Squadron (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Square Rig (Seamanship)
- Standing Orders (Command Structure)
- Standing Orders (Legal) (Naval Law & Administration)
- Starboard (Ship Operations)
- Stealth Technology (Naval Technology)
- Stern (Parts of a Ship)
- Stoker (Naval Ranks)
- Strategic Reserve (Naval Strategy)
- Strike Group (Naval Warfare)
- Sub-Lieutenant (Naval Ranks)
- Submarine (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Submarine (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Summary Trial (Naval Law & Administration)
- Sunset (Naval) (Naval Life)
- Supply Officer (Naval Ranks)
- Surface-to-Air Missile (Naval Technology)
- Surface-to-Surface Missile (Naval Technology)
- Swiftsure-class Submarine (Ship Classes)
T
- Tacking (Seamanship)
- Task Force (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Task Group (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Ticonderoga-class Cruiser (Ship Classes)
- Tonnage (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Torpedo (Naval Technology)
- Tot (Rum Ration) (Naval Life)
- Towed Array Sonar (Naval Technology)
- Trafalgar-class Submarine (Ship Classes)
- Tribal-class Destroyer (Ship Classes)
- Trim (Ship) (Seamanship)
- Turret (Naval) (Naval Technology)
- Type 21 Frigate (Ship Classes)
- Type 22 Frigate (Ship Classes)
- Type 23 Frigate (Ship Classes)
- Type 26 Frigate (Ship Classes)
- Type 31 Frigate (Ship Classes)
- Type 42 Destroyer (Ship Classes)
- Type 45 Destroyer (Ship Classes)
- Type VII Submarine (Ship Classes)
- Type XXI Submarine (Ship Classes)
U
- Udaloy-class Destroyer (Ship Classes)
- Underway (Seamanship)
- Unmanned Surface Vessel (Naval Technology)
- Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (Naval Technology)
V
- Vanguard-class Submarine (Ship Classes)
- Vertical Launch System (Naval Technology)
- Vice Admiral (Naval Ranks)
- Victory Ship (Ship Classes)
- Virginia-class Submarine (Ship Classes)
W
- Wardroom (Naval Life)
- Warrant Officer (Organisation Terms)
- Warship (Ship & Fleet Terms)
- Watch (Ship Operations)
- Watchkeeping (Naval Life)
- Wave-class Tanker (Ship Classes)
- Waypoint (Navigation Terms)
- Wearing Ship (Seamanship)
- Weather Gauge (Naval Warfare)
- Windward (Seamanship)
X
No entries for X.
Y
- Yamato-class Battleship (Ship Classes)
- Yaw (Seamanship)
- Yeoman of Signals (Naval Ranks)
Z
- Zumwalt-class Destroyer (Ship Classes)
#
No entries for #.