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wait-a-while (n) – Calamus motii, the common name for the climbing palm

wake (n) – The track left by a moving boat, ship or other object in the water; it looks like a wave

War of 1812 (n) – A war between the United States and Great Britain, lasting from 1812 to 1815, resulting in part from longstanding border disputes between the two countries and the British impressment of American soldiers; this war is often seen as the final confirmation of American Independence

warp (n) – A knotted line or rope dragged behind the stern of the boat; their purpose is to reduce the speed of the boat

Warrawee (n) – "You are welcome" in one of the native languages spoken in Australia before the Europeans arrived; local name of the Center for Rainforest Studies

Warrawork (n) – At the Center for Rainforest Studies, Warrawork is the time of the week when students and staff thoroughly clean the research center

watch (n) – Any of the periods of duty into which the day is divided on a ship, so that the work is shared among alternating shifts of the crew

watch change (n) – The procedure of one watch going off duty and another coming on

watch group (n) – A group of people who, on a rotating schedule, stand watch on a ship

water column (n) – The area between the surface and the bottom of a body of water

water cycle (n) – The constant cycle by which water moves through the Earth’s environment, converting from liquid to gas vapor to liquid again through the processes of condensation and evaporation (e.g., water evaporates from the ocean into the air, then condenses to rain and falls back to the earth, where it runs off into the ocean again)

water polo (n) – A water game played with two teams of seven players, with the object being to pass or take a ball over the opposing team’s goal line

watercraft (n) – A boat, ship or other water vehicle

watershed (n) – An area drained by a river or river system

waterspout (n) – A whirling, funnel-shaped or tube-like column of air full of spray which occurs over water, usually in the tropics; a sea-going tornado

water table (n) – The level below which the ground is saturated with water

watt (n) – A unit of power; it is equal to 1 joule per second

wattle (n) – A fleshy, wrinkled, often brightly colored fold of skin hanging from the neck or throat, characteristic of certain birds, such as chickens or turkeys, and some lizards

wattle and daub (n) – Sticks intertwined with twigs or branches and smeared with mud or clay, used for walls, roofs and fences

way station (n) – A small station or stopping place between two more important locations, used for refueling, provisioning, etc., on long journeys

waypoint (n) – A navigational fix; usually a destination or point of reference

weather helm (n) – A situation in which the helm of a sailboat is hard to steer because the sailboat is trying to come up into the wind; often caused by bad weather or an imbalance in the boat’s sails

wedge-tailed eagle (n) – Aquila audax is also called the eagle hawk ; it is a large dark brown or black eagle with some reddish-brown feathers on its nape. Its wedge-shaped tail is distinctive when soaring

weed (n) – An undesired, uncultivated plant that has a tendency to crowd out a desired crop

western boundary current (n) – A very strong, narrow ocean current that flows along the western side of a major ocean basin (e.g. the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic, the Kuroshio in the Pacific); western boundary currents play a large role in creating regional climates around the world

wet exit (n) – In kayaking terms, the process of exiting a kayak which has flipped over (turned upside down) in the water; kayakers practice wet exits so that they are well prepared in case of a capsize

wetsuit (n) – A closefitting, often one-piece suit of rubber or other insulating material, worn by divers for warmth

whaleboat (n) – A large, long rowboat, pointed at both ends to increase maneuverability, used in the 19th century by whalers

whaling (n) – The work or trade of hunting and killing whales for their blubber, whalebone, baleen, etc.

wheelhouse (n) – The on-board location of the steering wheel and engine controls

whiskerstay (n) – A cable leading from the whiskers (long horizontal spars set at right angles to the end of the bowsprit) to the bow of the vessel

wide berth (n) – A safe and comfortable distance that a boat or ship keeps from another vessel or from land

winch (n) – 1 : On a boat, a mechanical device that is used to tighten lines, especially halyards and sheets  2 : A powerful machine with one or more drums on which to coil a rope, cable, or chain for hauling or hoisting

windbreak (n) – Something that will break the force of the wind, such as the growth of shrubs, bushes or trees

windchill (n) – The apparent temperature taking into consideration air temperature and wind speed

windlass (n) – A device used for hauling up the anchor

windward (adv, adj) – In the direction from which the wind is coming

wrasse (n) – Any of a family of bony fish, having thick lips, spiny fins, strong teeth, and bright coloring; found especially in tropical seas

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