deck n
   1 Clipped form of deck-load (of fish).
   1863 HIND ii, 233 After a 'deck' of mackerel is obtained, all hands prepare to put them in salt.
   2 In mining, ground level, surface (P 148-63); also attrib.
   P 222-67 Deckhead. A tall. tapering, tower-like structure erected over the shaft. Its principal purpose is as a mount for the bull wheels.
   3 Attrib, comb deck boot: heavy boot worn by fishermen.
   1967 Bk of Nfld iv, 248 [Father] got me the deck boots. They were made of all leather, the hardest kind. They were called quarter boots and came about half-way up to the knee. C 75-19 ~ Made of leather for fishing.
   deck broom: heavy broom or brush used to sweep decks and fishing-stages (1975 BUTLER 180).
   M 68-26 The guts were thrown overboard and the deck hosed off with the water pump and brushed off with deck brooms.
   deck engine: mechanical contrivance to hoist sails on a vessel.
   T 43-64 You hoist by hand or by deck engine. You'd use the deck engine because a schooner [of] a hundred tons would have a thousand yards of canvas in the mainsail—a heavy hoist by hand.
   deck glass: piece of heavy glass let into the bottom of a boat for underwater observation of fish; cp FISH GLASS.
   T 80/3-64 He had a fish-glass and he had a proper deck glass, cut round, about one and five eight [inches] thick.
   deck router: in a sealing crew, second in command of a WATCH (1972 SANGER 236).
   1924 ENGLAND 52 In case a master watch is killed or disabled, his second master watch, or 'deck- router,' (pronounced 'rowter') replaces him. 1925 Dial Notes v, 329 ~ One of the four assistant master watches.
   deck weight: deck-load.
   1975 BUTLER 113 It was now early September and we had a load of fish and a deck weight of cod oil.

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