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naiveté (n) – The state of being inexperienced

name board (n) – On a ship, the board (often wood) that displays the ship's name

Nantucket (n) – A small island off the coast of Massachusetts

nape (n) – The back of the neck

Nathaniel Greene (1742–1786) (n) – A famous American Revolutionary War General, second only to his close friend, General Washington in leadership and strategic ability; Greene was particularly noted for his triumphs against the British in North and South Carolina during 1780 and 1782

native (adj) – Indigenous, belonging to a country or locality

natural selection (n) – A natural process that results in the survival and reproductive success of individuals or groups that are best adjusted to their environment; this leads to the "passing on" of genetic qualities best suited to that particular environment to offspring

natural succession (n) – The process by which a habitat or environment naturally rejuvenates itself

naturalist (n) – Someone who studies animals or plants, usually in their natural surroundings

nature trail (n) – A marked trail designed to lead people through a natural environment which highlights and protects resources

nautical (adj) – Having to do with or characteristic of ships, shipping, and sailors

Nautical Almanac (n) – A nautical guide, published yearly, which contains information about the positions of celestial bodies around the Earth at certain times, and is used to aid in celestial navigation; all time information in the Almanac is noted in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)

nautical mile (n) – A nautical unit of measurement equaling 1.15 statute (land) miles

nautical twilight (n) – The time periods beginning before sunrise and ending after sunset when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon; characterized by illumination sufficient to distinguish the general outlines of ground objects but not sufficient to distinguish the horizon or carry out detailed outdoor operations

navigate (v) – To steer a ship, or to plot the course on which one steers a ship

navigation (n) – The science of locating the position and plotting the course of a ship

navigator (n) – One who navigates

nav shack (n) – The area of the ship where tools of navigation are used and stored

neap tide (n) – Especially low high tides and high low tides that occur during quarter moons, when the moon and the sun form a right triangle with the Earth

near gale (n) – A storm, with wind speeds of between 28 and 33 knots

nectivore (n) – An animal that eats nectar from flowers

Nelson Mandela (n) – Former South African activist, Nobel peace prize winner, and the first black South African president

nematocyst (n) – A stinging cell, found in hydrozoans, that is used as a means of protection against predators

Neptune (n) – The god of the sea in Roman mythology

neurotoxin (n) – A toxin that destroys nerves or nervous tissue

New World (n) – The western hemisphere of the Earth, as originally named by European explorers

niche (n) – The role of an organism in a community; the specific space occupied by an organism within its habitat

niche diversification (n) – The process by which an organism changes a characteristic in order to better coexist with other species within its habitat

nitrogen cycle (n) – A process in which atmospheric nitrogen enters the soil and becomes part of living organisms, and then returns to the atmosphere

No. 1 reef tack (n) – One of the ropes on the first reef line that is used to tie down the sail along the reef line

No. 2 reef tack (n) – One of the ropes on the second reef line that is used to tie down the sail along the reef line

No. 1 Yankee (n) – The primary headsail used on BT Global Challenge yachts; used in winds up to 22 knots

No. 2 Yankee (n) – A headsail used on BT Global Challenge yachts; used in winds ranging from 22 to 31 knots

No. 3 Yankee (n) – A headsail used on BT Global Challenge yachts; used in winds ranging from 28 to 43 knots

nocturnal (adj) – Active at night

noddy tern (n) – A species of seabird

nodule (n) – A small knot or joint on a stem or root

nomadic (adj) – Having no permanent home but rather moving about constantly in search of food, work, etc.

non-consumptive (adj) – Not being destructive or wasteful

non-point-source pollution (n) – Pollution that has no one specific, identifiable source

nonrenewable resource (n) – A resource that can be harvested only once

nonvenomous (adj) – Nonpoisonous

nostalgic (adj) – Having bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past

notochord (n) – A long flexible rod of cells that provides the supporting axis of an organism’s body

notoriety (n) – Fame, especially of anything widely but unfavorably known

notorious (adj) – Known widely and usually unfavorably; infamous

noxious (adj) – Harmful to living things; injurious to health

nudibranch (n) – A type of marine mollusk with a broad, muscular ventral foot and external gills

null hypothesis (n) – In terms of probability, the hypothesis of what most likely is occurring in a situation; the goal of subsequent experiments is then to try to disprove the null hypothesis

numerator (n) – The term above the line in a fraction

nursery (n) – A place where young trees and other plants are raised for transplanting or sale

nurse shark (n) – The nurse shark is a harmless bottom dwelling shark. It feeds on small crabs and fish while it lies on the bottom of the ocean

nutrient (n) – Nitrogen and other minerals that animals and plants use for food

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