The Dictionary of English Nautical Language Database: Search Results
Your search returned 1 matches.
Term:
brass monkey (n)
Definition:
Reputedly a metal plate mounted by the cannons for storing cannonballs. In very cold weather the balls could shrink, allowing them to roll off...hence the expression: "freeze the balls off a brass monkey." That story is nonsense, and the expression is more likely naughty than nautical. In fact, the cannonballs were stored on a wooden rack called a garland.
