sb. and a. Also 6 -galand. [f. TOP sb.1 9 + GALLANT a., as making a brave or gallant show in comparison with the lower tops. The guess that the name was orig. top-garland (from GARLAND sb. 8) is disproved by the early evidence, and does not suit the sense.]
A. sb.
† 1. Naut. A top (TOP sb.1 9) at the head of the topmast, and thus in a loftier position than the original top-castle or top. Obs.
The thing was in use before the name: see quot. 1497, where it is described without a name. The name was prob. obs. by 1600, when sense 2 came in.
[1497. Naval Accts. Henry VII., 278. The Regent, Also a Toppe maste aboue the mayne Toppe maste, Rotteyn perused & consumyd to noght. A sayle to the same … Also viij Shrowdes belongyng to the same.]
1514. Inv. Henri Grace de Dieu, in Oppenheim, Admin. Roy. Navy, I. 374. Toppe Galant apon the foretopmast … j. Ibid., 375. The top Galant apon the mayne topmast … j.
1514. Inv., in United Serv. Mag. (1910), March, 581. The top galant. The mast to the same .j. The sayle yerd.
1569. Sparke, Sir J. Hawkins’ 2nd Voy. (Hakl. Soc.), 50. The Jesus also bare a light in her toppegallant.
1590. Spenser, Vis. World’s Van., ix. A goodly ship with banners bravely dight, And flag in her top-gallant, I espide.
2. pl. Short for topgallant sails, the sails above the topsail and topgallant.
This use appears to have come in as sense 1 became obs.
1599. Dallam, in Early Voy. Levant (Hakl. Soc.), 9. They … made away with all the sayle they had, drablings and topgalands, but … we came nearer and nearer unto them.
1647. Ward, Simp. Cobler (1843), 49. When Kings are hailing up their top-gallants, Subjects lay hold on their slablines.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, IV. lxiv. A fresh gale … began to fill the … Top-gallants.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple, xlix. She had … got up … jury-masts, with topgallants for topsails.
3. a. transf. (from 1 and 2) The most elevated (lit. or fig.) part or member of anything; see quots., and also top and topgallant (TOP sb.1 9 c).
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 388. If these two gallaunt Gyaunts apply no stronger pillers … to vphold the Majesticall State of theyr toppegallaunt of Rome.
1618. G. Strode, Anat. Mortalitie, 83. The Peacocke … when he … seeth his black feele,… vaileth his top-gallant, and seemeth to sorrow.
1656. I. Bourne, Def. Script., 15. A faith in Christ … was the top gallant of a Christian.
1878. Stevenson, Edinburgh (1889), 29. A few spires, the stone top-gallants of the city.
b. fig. The highest point or pitch; summit.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., II. iv. 202. Which to the high top gallant of my ioy, Must be my conuoy in the secret night.
1666. Sancroft, Lex Ignea, 17. The very Top-gallant of all our Glory.
1679. C. Nesse, Antichrist, 149. From … the top-gallant of his Luciferian pride.
1862. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., XIII. ix. (1872), V. 92. He seems to himself a man at the topgallant of his wishes.
† c. Used for the nonce as an intensive of gallant.
1701. Farquhar, Sir H. Wildair, IV. ii. And such as he are all those topgallants that daily haunt my house, ruin your honour, and disturb my quiet.
b. attrib. or adj.
1. Of, pertaining to, or having the position of topgallant: topgallant mast, sail, yard, the mast, sail, or yard above the topmast and topsail; the third mast, sail, or yard above the deck; † topgallant royals, early name for royals (ROYAL B. 5).
Often forming with the sb. an attrib. phrase, as topgallant-mast head, topgallant-sail yard, topgallant-yard man.
1514. Inv. Henri Grace de Dieu, in Oppenheim, Admin. Roy. Navy, I. 374. Bowlynes to the topgalant yerd…. Lyftes to the foretopgalant yerd with iiij single polies. Ibid., 377. Topgalant Sayle.
1514. Inv. Kateryn Forteleza, in United Serv. Mag., March (1910), 581. Top galant, top galant mast, shrowdes to the same .vj.
1588. State Papers Dom. Eliz., CCXX. lf. 54 (P.R.O.). The Revendge … A mayne topgallant saile made of an olde myzon. Ibid., lf. 71. The Dreadnoughte … one mayne topgallant saile, servic[eable].
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Seamen, 12. The top gallant mast, the maine top gallant sayle yeard, the trucke or flagge staffe. Ibid. (1627), Seaman’s Gram., vii. 31. There is also your maine top-saile, and fore top-saile, with their top-gallant sailes.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 7. Sometimes the surges or sea-flashes doe rebound top-gallant height.
1671. Lond. Gaz., No. 544/3. He caused his Top-gallant Masts and Yards to be taken down, and his Galleries and Quarter Decks to be covered with Canvas made for that purpose, to the end they might take him for a Merchant man.
1692. in Capt. Smith’s Seaman’s Gram., I. xiv. 64. 7 Main Topsail Lifts, 8 Topgallant Lifts.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. Top-Gallant-Masts of a Ship, are two, viz. Maintop-gallant-Mast, and Foretop-gallant-Mast; And these two are small round Pices of Timber, set on to their respective Top-Masts; on the Top of which Masts are set the Flagg-staffs.
1756. Gentl. Mag., XXVI. 506/1. Making all the sail they possibly could set to get from us, with top gallant ryalls, lower top-mast, and top-gallant steering sails, keeping a good full.
1835. Sir J. Ross, Narr. 2nd Voy., iii. 32. There were two seamen on the topgallant yard.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, iv. We sprang aloft immediately, and furled the royals and topgallant-sails.
c. 1860. H. Stuart, Seaman’s Catech., 45. The topgallant yard men … will go aloft.
1891. Times, 21 Oct., 7/4. The Hoffnung,… having … foretopmast and topgallant, with yards and sails attached, carried away; also main topgallant mast with yards.
b. See quotations.
1839. Marryat, Phant. Ship, viii. On her forecastle another small deck ran from the knight-heads, which was called the top-gallant forecastle.
1869. Sir E. J. Reed, Shipbuilding, xii. 238. It is customary to complete the topsides above this gunwale by, what is termed, a top-gallant bulwark formed of wooden berthing and stanchions.
2. Allowing topgallant sails to be used, as topgallant gale, breeze, weather.
1697. Dampier, Voy. round World (1699), 79. We had it [wind] at E.S.E. where it stood a considerable time and blew a fresh Top-gallant gale.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), Tems à perroquet, a top-gallant gale: topgallant weather.
1806. A. Duncan, Nelson, 68. The wind … blew what seamen call a top-gallant breeze. It was necessary to take in the royals when the squadron hauled upon a wind.
1873. Routledge’s Yng. Gent. Mag., July, 494/1. A good ‘topgallant breeze’ sprung up.
3. fig. Lofty, grand, fine, topping: cf. A. 3.
1613. Sylvester, Lachr. Lachr., B iv. Stript … Of guiddie-Gaudes, Top-gallant Tires and Towers.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, IV. vi. 108. Sure I am, the Babylonians were more top-gallant then the Jews, and quite put them down with bravery.
1735. Pope, Donne’s Sat., IV. 230. Top-gallant he, and she in all her trim.
1849. Cupples, Green Hand, ix. Here he [the sailor] came out with a regular string of top-gallant oaths.
