What is "gun deck"

Gun \Gun\ (g[u^]n), n. [OE. gonne, gunne; of uncertain origin; cf. Ir., Gael., & LL. gunna, W. gum; possibly (like cannon) fr. L. canna reed, tube; or abbreviated fr. OF. mangonnel, E. mangonel, a machine for hurling stones.]

1. A weapon which throws or propels a missile to a distance; any firearm or instrument for throwing projectiles, consisting of a tube or barrel closed at one end, in which the projectile is placed, with an explosive charge (such as guncotton or gunpowder) behind, which is ignited by various means. Pistols, rifles, carbines, muskets, and fowling pieces are smaller guns, for hand use, and are called small arms. Larger guns are called cannon, ordnance, fieldpieces, carronades, howitzers, etc. See these terms in the Vocabulary.

   As swift as a pellet out of a gunne When fire is in the powder runne.
   --Chaucer.

   The word gun was in use in England for an engine to cast a thing from a man long before there was any gunpowder found out.
   --Selden.

2. (Mil.) A piece of heavy ordnance; in a restricted sense, a cannon.

3. pl. (Naut.) Violent blasts of wind.

   Note: Guns are classified, according to their construction or manner of loading as rifled or smoothbore, breech-loading or muzzle-loading, cast or built-up guns; or according to their use, as field, mountain, prairie, seacoast, and siege guns.

   Armstrong gun, a wrought iron breech-loading cannon named after its English inventor, Sir William Armstrong.

   Big gun or Great gun, a piece of heavy ordnance; hence (Fig.), a person superior in any way; as, bring in the big guns to tackle the problem.

   Gun barrel, the barrel or tube of a gun.

   Gun carriage, the carriage on which a gun is mounted or moved.

   Gun cotton (Chem.), a general name for a series of explosive nitric ethers of cellulose, obtained by steeping cotton in nitric and sulphuric acids. Although there are formed substances containing nitric acid radicals, yet the results exactly resemble ordinary cotton in appearance. It burns without ash, with explosion if confined, but quietly and harmlessly if free and open, and in small quantity. Specifically, the lower nitrates of cellulose which are insoluble in ether and alcohol in distinction from the highest (pyroxylin) which is soluble. See Pyroxylin, and cf. Xyloidin. The gun cottons are used for blasting and somewhat in gunnery: for making celluloid when compounded with camphor; and the soluble variety (pyroxylin) for making collodion. See Celluloid, and Collodion. Gun cotton is frequenty but improperly called nitrocellulose. It is not a nitro compound, but an ester of nitric acid.

   Gun deck. See under Deck.

   Gun fire, the time at which the morning or the evening gun is fired.

   Gun metal, a bronze, ordinarily composed of nine parts of copper and one of tin, used for cannon, etc. The name is also given to certain strong mixtures of cast iron.

   Gun port (Naut.), an opening in a ship through which a cannon's muzzle is run out for firing.

   Gun tackle (Naut.), the blocks and pulleys affixed to the side of a ship, by which a gun carriage is run to and from the gun port.

   Gun tackle purchase (Naut.), a tackle composed of two single blocks and a fall.
   --Totten.

   Krupp gun, a wrought steel breech-loading cannon, named after its German inventor, Herr Krupp.

   Machine gun, a breech-loading gun or a group of such guns, mounted on a carriage or other holder, and having a reservoir containing cartridges which are loaded into the gun or guns and fired in rapid succession. In earlier models, such as the Gatling gun, the cartridges were loaded by machinery operated by turning a crank. In modern versions the loading of cartidges is accomplished by levers operated by the recoil of the explosion driving the bullet, or by the pressure of gas within the barrel. Several hundred shots can be fired in a minute by such weapons, with accurate aim. The Gatling gun, Gardner gun, Hotchkiss gun, and Nordenfelt gun, named for their inventors, and the French mitrailleuse, are machine guns.

   To blow great guns (Naut.), to blow a gale. See Gun, n., 3.

Deck \Deck\, n. [D. dek. See Deck, v.]

1. The floorlike covering of the horizontal sections, or compartments, of a ship. Small vessels have only one deck; larger ships have two or three decks. Note: The following are the more common names of the decks of vessels having more than one. Berth deck (Navy), a deck next below the gun deck, where the hammocks of the crew are swung. Boiler deck (River Steamers), the deck on which the boilers are placed. Flush deck, any continuous, unbroken deck from stem to stern. Gun deck (Navy), a deck below the spar deck, on which the ship's guns are carried. If there are two gun decks, the upper one is called the main deck, the lower, the lower gun deck; if there are three, one is called the middle gun deck. Half-deck, that portion of the deck next below the spar deck which is between the mainmast and the cabin. Hurricane deck (River Steamers, etc.), the upper deck, usually a light deck, erected above the frame of the hull. Orlop deck, the deck or part of a deck where the cables are stowed, usually below the water line. Poop deck, the deck forming the roof of a poop or poop cabin, built on the upper deck and extending from the mizzenmast aft. Quarter-deck, the part of the upper deck abaft the mainmast, including the poop deck when there is one. Spar deck.

   1. Same as the upper deck.

   2. Sometimes a light deck fitted over the upper deck.

      Upper deck, the highest deck of the hull, extending from stem to stern.

2. (arch.) The upper part or top of a mansard roof or curb roof when made nearly flat.

3. (Railroad) The roof of a passenger car.

4. A pack or set of playing cards.

   The king was slyly fingered from the deck.
   --Shak.

5. A heap or store. [Obs.]

   Who . . . hath such trinkets Ready in the deck.
   --Massinger.

6. (A["e]ronautics) A main a["e]roplane surface, esp. of a biplane or multiplane.

7. the portion of a bridge which serves as the roadway.

8. a flat platform adjacent to a house, usually without a roof; -- it is typically used for relaxing out of doors, outdoor cooking, or entertaining guests.

   Between decks. See under Between.

   Deck bridge (Railroad Engineering), a bridge which carries the track upon the upper chords; -- distinguished from a through bridge, which carries the track upon the lower chords, between the girders.

   Deck curb (Arch.), a curb supporting a deck in roof construction.

   Deck floor (Arch.), a floor which serves also as a roof, as of a belfry or balcony.

   Deck hand, a sailor hired to help on the vessel's deck, but not expected to go aloft.

   Deck molding (Arch.), the molded finish of the edge of a deck, making the junction with the lower slope of the roof.

   Deck roof (Arch.), a nearly flat roof which is not surmounted by parapet walls.

   Deck transom (Shipbuilding), the transom into which the deck is framed.

   To clear the decks (Naut.), to remove every unnecessary incumbrance in preparation for battle; to prepare for action.

   To sweep the deck (Card Playing), to clear off all the stakes on the table by winning them.

n. formerly any deck other than the weather deck having cannons from end to end

The term gun deck used to refer to a deck aboard a ship that was primarily used for the mounting of cannon to be fired in broadsides. However, on many smaller vessels such as frigates and unrated vessels, the upper deck, forecastle and quarterdeck bore all of the cannons but were not referred to as the gun deck. The completely covered level under the upper deck was, however, still called the gun deck although it had no guns at all.

On board marine seismic survey vessels, the lowest deck on the ship is normally referred to as the gun deck. This deck carries the seismic source arrays, consisting of air guns arranged in clusters.