'Marline-spike bird' definitions:
Definition of 'Marline-spike bird'
From: GCIDE
- Marline \Mar"line\, n. [LG. marlien, marling, or D. marling, marlijn, fr. D. marren to tie, prob. akin to E. moor, v., and lijn line: cf.F. merlin. See Moor, v., Line.] (Naut.) A small line composed of two strands a little twisted, used for winding around ropes and cables, to prevent their being weakened by fretting. [1913 Webster]
- Marline spike, Marling spike (Naut.), an iron tool tapering to a point, used to separate the strands of a rope in splicing and in marling. It has an eye in the thick end to which a lanyard is attached. See Fid. [Written also marlin spike]
- Marline-spike bird. [The name alludes to the long middle tail feathers.] (Zool.) (a) A tropic bird. (b) A jager, or skua gull. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'marline-spike bird'
From: GCIDE
- Jager \Ja"ger\, n. [G. j[aum]ger a hunter, a sportsman. Cf. Yager.] [Written also jaeger.]
- 1. (Mil.) A sharpshooter. See Yager. [1913 Webster]
- 2. (Zool.) Any species of gull of the genus Stercorarius. Three species occur on the Atlantic coast. The jagers pursue other species of gulls and force them to disgorge their prey. The two middle tail feathers are usually decidedly longer than the rest. Called also boatswain, and marline-spike bird. The name is also applied to the skua, or Arctic gull (Megalestris skua). [1913 Webster]