ukase A decree or edict from the Russian emperor or government. Also, any proclamation or decree, especially one that is final or arbitrary.
ultima ratio regum The final argument of kings (Latin). Louis XIV of France had this motto enscribed on all of his cannons.
ultima Thule The highest point or degree attained or attainable, the acme, limit, but also the lowest limit, the nadir. From Virgil’s Georgics, in which he names the most northerly land THULE.
unbend To unfasten, untie, or undo a CABLE, line, or sail.
under hatches Below deck.
unguent An ointment or salve.
Union The Union flag or, officially, the Great Union, Great Britain’s national flag. The British Union Flag, designed in 1606, combined the white flag with the red cross of St. George used by England and the blue flag with the white cross of St. Andrew used by Scotland to symbolize the personal union of the two countries under King JAMES I. This union was formalized in 1707 through the Act of Union, which united the two countries under the name Great Britain. With the addition of Ireland in 1801, the country changed its name to the United Kingdom and added the red St. Patrick’s cross to the Union Flag. It is called the Union Jack when flown in the BOW of a vessel. In the U.S. Navy, the Union Jack is a small flag that has the stars from the national flag and is flown in the bow.
Unitarian A member or adherent of a Christian religious sect believing in unipersonality of the Godhead, especially as opposed to an orthodox Trinitarian. Founded in Central Europe in the 16th century and in England and the United States, through a separate movement, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Unite See SURPRISE.
United Irishman A member of the Society of United Irishmen, a political association formed to promote union between Protestants and Catholics but that became a separatist secret society whose members helped organize the rebellion of 1798.
United States, U.S.S. The first of the U.S. Navy’s six original FRIGATES—along with CONSTITUTION, President, CHESAPEAKE, Constellation, and Congress. Armed with 44 guns, she was launched at Philadelphia in 1797 and had an illustrious career. During the Quasi-War with France (1798-1801) she served as the FLAGSHIP of the senior officer, Commodore John Barry, and in 1812, under the command of Stephen Decatur, captured the British MACEDONIAN. After peace was made in 1814, she served as flagship in the Mediterranean. Decommissioned in 1849, she remained at Norfolk, Virginia, until 1861, when she was refitted for service in the Confederate States Navy. In 1862, she was scuttled in the Elizabeth River in Virginia as an obstacle against the U.S. Navy. Raised after a short period, she remained afloat until she was broken up in 1865.
unslaked lime Calcium oxide (lime, quicklime), used therapeutically as a tonic and astringent. Unslaked meant that it had not been exposed to water.
Upper Ossory A barony in Queens County, Ireland, in what is now County Kilkenny. Ossory was an ancient kingdom that dissolved in 1110.
Upupa epops See HOOPOE.
Urdu An Indo-Aryan language that originated near Delhi and was earlier called Hindustani. It is written in a modified form of the Persian Arabic alphabet and used by the Muslims in the area of present-day Pakistan and northern India. It is the official literary language of Pakistan.
urinator One who dives under water; a diver.
Ushant Island or lie d’Ouessant A rocky island off the coast of Brittany, France, about 40 miles northwest of BREST. It marks a pivotal point: to the west lies the open Atlantic, to the south the BAY OF BISCAY, and to the north the English Channel. It was a key point in navigation and played a role in the struggles between England and France in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The indecisive action that led to the famous COURT-MARTIAL of Admirals Keppel and Palliser happened off Ushant in 1778. One of the battles of FINISTERRE in October of 1747 is given the name Battle of Ushant. The battle of the GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE is sometimes called the Battle of Ushant