GLOSSARY OF ROPE TERMINOLOGY

Mantle
The sheath, skin, or protective cover of a rope.

Marline
A cord ud for winding around the ends of ropes to prevent fraying.

Marine Braid
A rope constructed from an inner hollow single braided rope (core) which has another hollow single braided rope constructed around its exterior (skin). Both the core and skin share the load on the rope but not necessarily in equal amounts. Also referred to as Double Braid, Yacht Braid and Braid on Braid.

Marlinspike
A pointed spike used to separate strands of rope in splicing.

Mason Line
A utility cord used for alignment in construction and other uses.

Maypole Braid
A non-spliceable braid constructed with 8, 12, or 16 strands of fibers braided around a center core of parallel fibers. The strands from a herringbone pattern on the rope. May also refer to diamond braid.

Medium Laid
The standard lay or twist in rope making, neither soft nor hard.

MFP
Multi Filament Polypropylene.

Milking
The slippage of the core and sheath of a rope in opposite directions.

Minimum Breaking Strength -MBS
Generally reported as 3 standard deviations below the mean of the maximum force or breaking load applied to 5 or more specimens.

MK-1 Lifejacket
Primarily designed for carrier flight deck personnel. It is also used by other topside working personnel when required.

Modulus
The ratio of change in stress to change in strain following the removal of crimp from the material being tested; i.e., the ratio of the stress expressed in either force per unit linear density or force per unit area of the original specimen, and the strain expressed as either a fraction of the original length or percentage elongation.

Monkey Fist
Weighted knot in the end of a heaving line. Usually made up of 2 or 3 ounces of lead wrapped up in a rag.

Monofilament
Polypropylene or polyethylene extruded in relatively large round fibers of large denier as compared with the fine fibers of multifilament; usually extruded by the rope manufacturer.

Mooring Line
A rope or cable used to secure or make fast mooring or docking vessels or aircraft.

Multifilament
Fine diameter continuous fibers of small denier. Polypropylene, for example, may be extruded as a monofilament. Nylon, used in cordage, is multifilament usually.

Napping
A process that raises the surface fibers of a fabric, cord or rope by means of rapid passage over metal surfaces.

Natural Fiber
Any organic fiber such as cotton, jute, manila, sisal, etc.

Newton (N)
0.225 pounds of force.

NFPA
National Fire Protection Agency

Nominal Size
An approximate size designation that is determined by the weight of a line. The weight varies by fiber type. This size reference does not indicate a specific measurement of diameter. For diameters please consult the manufacturers specifications.

Noose
A loop that closes under strain.

Nylon
A high tenacity synthetic fiber used in the production of rope and cordage. Also referred to as polyamide. Any of a family of high strength, resilient synthetic materials, the long chain molecule of which contains the recurring amide group CONH: a strong synthetic rope fiber known for its ability to absorb sudden shock, its abrasion resistance, and its chemical and marine organism resistance.

Olefin
Any of a class unsaturated hydrocarbons such as ethylene's having the general formula cuH2n. Polypropylene and polyethylene are both made of olefin fibers.

Outhaul
A tackle or small wire reel winch used to pull the lower rear corner of a sail aft along a boom.

Para
Aramid Fibers - Synthetic rope fibers produced under the trade names Kevlar, Twaraon and Technora. These are high-modulus fibers which are known for their strength and heat resistance.

Pay Out
To let go or slack off a line; it infers that the rate is controlled.

Pear Carabiner
A teardrop shaped carabiner.

Perlon
A trade name for nylon 6.

Personal Escape Ropes
A 7.5-9.5mm rope which has been designed for emergency escape from a threatening situation. These ropes have a minimum breaking strength of 13.5kN (3034lbf), and therefore safety margins are greatly reduced and the utmost care must be taken when using these ropes. They are also referred to as bail-out-ropes or escape lines.

Pik
A pik is the exposed area of a strand traveling in a straight line along the axis of the rope. In a cover braid there are normally 16, 20, 24, or 32 strands. Strands that revolve to the right are usually referred to as "Z" strands. Strands that revolve to the left are "S" strands. Some splicing instructions might also refer to "standard pairs" since braided ropes are constructed with "S" and "Z" strands for a balanced, torque-free construction.

Plain Braid
A cylindrical braid which is formed by rotating half the yarn strands in one direction on the braider, while the other half rotate in the opposite direction. These cords may hollow, or they may have a center core of parallel fibers. Also referred to as Diamond Braid.