NAUTICAL

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does nautical mean? 

• NAUTICAL (adjective)
  The adjective NAUTICAL has 1 sense:

1. relating to or involving ships or shipping or navigation or seamen

  Familiarity information: NAUTICAL used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NAUTICAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Relating to or involving ships or shipping or navigation or seamen

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

marine; maritime; nautical

Context example:

marine insurance

Pertainym:

navigation (ship traffic)

 Context examples 

“A nautical phenomenon, eh?” laughed Steerforth.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

“It does very well, it seems, though I am not versed in things nautical,” she said, nodding her head with grave approval at my steering contrivance.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The official detective was attired in a pea-jacket and cravat, which gave him a decidedly nautical appearance, and he carried a black canvas bag in his hand.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"Oh, gracious! What shall I say?" cried Sallie, as Fred ended his rigmarole, in which he had jumbled together pell-mell nautical phrases and facts out of one of his favorite books.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

On our little walk along the quays, he made himself the most interesting companion, telling me about the different ships that we passed by, their rig, tonnage, and nationality, explaining the work that was going forward—how one was discharging, another taking in cargo, and a third making ready for sea—and every now and then telling me some little anecdote of ships or seamen or repeating a nautical phrase till I had learned it perfectly.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

“You don't mean to say that there is any affinity between nautical matters and ecclesiastical matters?”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Her monstrosities in the way of cattle would have taken prizes at an agricultural fair, and the perilous pitching of her vessels would have produced seasickness in the most nautical observer, if the utter disregard to all known rules of shipbuilding and rigging had not convulsed him with laughter at the first glance.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

In this rough clothing, with a common mariner's telescope under his arm, and a shrewd trick of casting up his eye at the sky as looking out for dirty weather, he was far more nautical, after his manner, than Mr. Peggotty.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

“I don't, indeed, my dear boy,” he returned; “but I mean to say that they are managed and decided by the same set of people, down in that same Doctors' Commons. You shall go there one day, and find them blundering through half the nautical terms in Young's Dictionary, apropos of the “Nancy” having run down the “Sarah Jane”, or Mr. Peggotty and the Yarmouth boatmen having put off in a gale of wind with an anchor and cable to the “Nelson”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Indiaman in distress; and you shall go there another day, and find them deep in the evidence, pro and con, respecting a clergyman who has misbehaved himself; and you shall find the judge in the nautical case, the advocate in the clergyman's case, or contrariwise.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)