marline-spike bird

2 definitions found

marline-spike bird - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  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]

  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]