U.S. Navy sailors parbuckle a 16″ shell inside an ammo magazine of a battleship.

Definition

Noun

  • A special hold on naval vessels to store ammunition.

Origin

Probably earlier than the 17th century. Directly derived from the Old French word magazin, meaning storehouse or storeroom. Also appearing to come from the Arabic word makhazin, of the same meaning.

Comments

It can also be called a powder room/powder magazine. On battleships, the powder bags and shells are usually stored in separate rooms. A fire and subsequent detonation inside a magazine is catastrophic for a vessel.

References

King, D., Hattendorf, J.B, & Estes, J.W. (1997). A Sea of Words: A Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O’Brian’s Seafaring Tales (2nd Ed.). Owl Books.

Rogers, J.G. (1985). Origins of Sea Terms. Mystic Seaport.