De balena vero … regina caudam Latin, "Concerning the whale, it truly suffices, if the king has the head, and the queen the tail."
decanter a decorative glass bottle, generally with a stopper, for serving wine.
diddled to have sexual intercourse with; here, victimized, messed with.
dyspeptic suffering from indigestion.
effected brought about by a cause or agent.
effulgent radiant, brilliant.
eight bells here, midnight, the end of the watch that began at 8 p.m. The ringing of a bell marks each half hour of the watch.
Elijah a biblical prophet of doom (1 Kings 21:17–19).
elucidate to make clear, to explain.
epaulet a shoulder ornament for uniforms, especially for military officers' uniforms.
erudite having or showing great knowledge gained from reading.
eschewed avoided, shunned.
ex officio Latin, "by virtue of one's office or position."
extant still existing, not extinct.
facetiousness joking or trying to be amusing.
fain gladly willing
fallacious erroneous, misleading, containing a fallacy (a mistaken idea, an error in reasoning, etc.).
fathom six feet, a unit of length used to measure the depth of water or the length of nautical rope or cable.
festoon a wreath or garland of flowers, leaves or paper, shaped in a loop or curve.
fetid decaying, putrid, having a bad smell.
flouts mocks or scoffs at, shows contempt for.
for the nonce for now, for the time being.
for the nonce for the time being.
forecastle the front part of the ship where the crew's quarters are located.
frigate a fast, medium-sized, sailing warship.
furlong a unit of measure equal to an eighth of a mile or 220 yards.
