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Sail ho! - An exclamation meaning another ship is in view. The sail, of course, is the first part of a ship visible over the horizon.
salmagundi - A salad usually consisting of chopped meat, anchovies, eggs, and onions, often arranged in rows on lettuce and served with vinegar and oil.
scallywag - A villainous or mischievous person.
schooner - A fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel having at least two masts, with a foremast that is usually smaller than the other masts.
scourge of the seven seas - A pirate known for his extremely violent and brutal nature.
scuppers - Openings along the edges of a ship's deck that allow water on deck to drain back to the sea rather than collecting in the bilge. "Scupper that!" is an expression of anger or derision meaning "Throw that overboard!"
scurvy - (1) A disease caused by deficiency of vitamin C often affecting sailors. (2) Mean and contemptible; a derogatory adjective suitable for use in a loud voice, as in "Ye scurvy dogs!"
scuttle - (1) A small opening or hatch with a movable lid in the deck or hull of a ship. (2) To sink by means of a hole in a ships hull.
Sea Legs - The ability to adjust one's balance to the motion of a ship, especially in rough seas. After walking on a ship for long periods of time, sailors became accustomed to the rocking of the ship in the water. Early in a voyage a sailor was said to be lacking his "sea legs" when the ship motion was still foreign to him. After a cruise, a sailor would often have trouble regaining his "land legs" and would swagger on land.
sheet - A line running from the bottom aft corner of a sail by which it can be adjusted to the wind
Shiver me timbers! - An expression of surprise or strong emotion.
shrouds - One of a set of ropes or wire cables stretched from the masthead to the sides of a vessel to support the mast.
Sink me! - An expression of surprise.
six pounders - Cannons.
skysail - A small square sail above the royal in a square-rigged vessel.
sloop - A single-masted, fore-and-aft-rigged sailing boat with a short standing bowsprit or none at all and a single headsail set from the forestay. This boat was much favored by the pirates because of its shallow draught and maneuverability.
smartly - Quickly. "Smartly there, men!" = "Hurry up!"
snow - A square-rigged vessel, differing from a brig only in that she has a trysail mast close abaft the mainmast, on which a large trysail is hoisted.
Spanish Main - Lands taken by Spain from Mexico to Peru including the Caribbean islands.
spanker (see also driver)- The after sail of a ship or bark, being a fore-and-aft sail attached to a boom and gaff.
spike - To render (a muzzleloading gun) useless by driving a spike into the vent.
spirits - An alcoholic beverage, especially distilled liquor.
splice the main brace - To have a drink or perhaps several drinks.
spyglass - A telescope.
square-rigged - Fitted with square sails as the principal sails.
squiffy - Somewhat intoxicated; tipsy.
starboard - The right side of the ship when you are facing toward her prow.
stern - The rear part of a ship.
strike colors - To lower, specifically a ships flag as a signal of surrender.
sutler - A merchant in port, selling the various things that a ship needs for supplies and repairs.
swab - (1) To clean, specifically the deck of a ship. (2) A disrespectful term for a seaman. ie: "Man that gun, ye cowardly swabs!"
swing the lead - The lead was a weight at the bottom of a line that gave sailors a way to measure depth when near land. To Swing the Lead was considered a simple job, and thus came to represent one who is avoiding work or taking the easy work over the hard. In today's terms, one who swings the lead is a slacker.
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