to ship the dead lights
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To fasten the shutter over the cabin window to keep out the sea when a gale is expected.
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 “to ship the dead lights” mean?
To fasten the shutter over the cabin window to keep out the sea when a gale is expected.
Is “to ship the dead lights” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.