narrow seas
Also 5 sea.
[narrow a. 1.]
1. The channels separating Great Britain from the adjacent continent and from Ireland.
| 14.. Sailing Directions (Hakl. Soc.) 21 And yif..ye be bounde into the narowe see..go your cours north est. a 1548 Hall Chron., Rich. III 49 b, He called home againe his shippes of warre whiche he had apoynted to kepe the narowe sees. 1562–3 Royal Proclam. 8 Feb., All marchauntes of all other nations, passynge through her narrowe Seas with theyr shippes and vessels. 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, i. i. 239 Sterne Falconbridge commands the Narrow Seas. 1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 198 In 88. upon short warning they rigged to the narrow seas 100. good men of warre. 1690 Lond. Gaz. No. 2574/1 Your Majesties Dominion of the Narrow Seas. 1721 Perry Daggenh. Breach 22 Such cruising Ships.., who are appointed.. to have their Station in the narrow Seas, between England and Ireland. 1754 Ess. Manning Fleet 45 As soon as they arrive within the Narrow Seas. 1807 Edin. Rev. XI. 17 Great Britain has the sovereignty of what are called the narrow seas. 1847 Tennyson Princ. Concl. 70 God bless the narrow seas! |
2. In other applications. rare.
| 1615 W. Bedwell Arab. Trudg., Giebel, The mouth of the narrow seas..is after the Arabicke name vulgarly..called Estrecho de Gibraltar. 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. x. 48 It may bee hee meant in some narrow Seas. |