Act of Man
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The sacrificing of cargo, spars, or furnishings, by the master of a vessel for the preservation of his ship. All persons with an interest in the ship and cargo stand a fair share of the loss.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Act of Man” mean?
The sacrificing of cargo, spars, or furnishings, by the master of a vessel for the preservation of his ship. All persons with an interest in the ship and cargo stand a fair share of the loss.
Is “Act of Man” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.