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To make a loud, heavy, or hollow noise, as the bittern; to boom. As a bittern bumps within a reed. Dryden.

Fig.; A loud noise like a cannonade; a booming. Blue Walden rolls its cannonade. Ewerson.

ingle mast placed as far forward as possible, carring a sail extended by a graff and long boom. See Illustration in Appendix.

d a passage, stop a breach, or impede the advance of cavalry, etc. Obstructions of chain, boom, and cheval-de-frise. W. Irving.

A stanchion or post of wood or iron, with two arms for supporting a boom, spare yards, etc.; -- called also crane and crutch. Totten.

-- Floating dock. (Naut.) See under Dock. -- Floating harbor, a breakwater of cages or booms, anchored and fastened together, and used as a protection to ships riding at anchor to leeward. Knight. -- Floating heart (Bot.), a small aquatic plant (Limnanthemum lacunosum) whose heart-shaped leaves float on the water o…

That part of the spar deck of a vessel on each side of the booms, from the quarter-deck to the forecastle; -- more properly termed the waist. Totten. Gangway ladder, a ladder rigged on the side of a vessel at the gangway. -- To bring to the gangway, to punish (a seaman) by flogging him at the gangway.…

The line by which a boat makes fast to the swinging boom. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

ide an object which is being hoisted or lowered; a rope which holds in place the end of a boom, spar, or yard in a ship; a chain or wire rope connecting a suspension bridge with the land on either side to prevent lateral swaying; a rod or rope attached to the top of a structure, as of a derrick, and extending obliquely…

To shift from one side of a vessel to the other; -- said of the boom of a fore-and-aft sail when the vessel is steered off the wind until the sail fills on the opposite side. [Also jibe.]

ilt. Heel chain (Naut.), a chain passing from the bowsprit cap around the heel of the jib boom. -- Heel plate, the butt plate of a gun. -- Heel of a rafter. (Arch.) See Heel, n., 7. -- Heel ring, a ring for fastening a scythe blade to the snath. -- Neck and heels, the whole body. (Colloq.) -- To be at the heels of,…

g mineral veins, by a heavy discharge of water from a reservoir; flushing; -- also called booming.

of a vessel's bulwarks or hull; the opposite of outboard; as, an inboard cargo; haul the boom inboard.

A rope used to draw in the jib boom, or flying jib boom.

(Naut.), a fore-and-aft sail set on a stay running from the fore-topmast head to the jib boom. -- Inner plate (Arch.), the wall plate which lies nearest to the center of the roof,in a double-plated roof. -- Inner post (Naut.), a piece brought on at the fore side of the main post, to support the transoms. -- Inner s…

The inner end of a boom or gaff, hollowed in a half circle so as to move freely on a mast.

a stay or halyard extending from the foremast or fore-topmast to the bowsprit or the jib boom. Large vessels often carry several jibe; as, inner jib; outer jib; flying jib; etc.

To shift, or swing round, as a sail, boom, yard, etc., as in tacking.

To shift, as the boom of a fore-and-aft sail, from one side of a vessel to the other when the wind is aft or on the quarter. See Gybe.

A variety of the boomerang.