Poop deck

{{Short description|Deck over a cabin at the rear of a ship}}

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Image:Soleil-Royal mp3h9369.jpg, as seen from the forecastle]]

In naval architecture, a poop deck is a deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear, or "aft", part of the superstructure of a ship.{{cite book |last =Keegan |first =John |author-link =John Keegan |title =The Price of Admiralty |publisher =Viking |date =1989 |location =New York |page =[https://archive.org/details/priceofadmiralty00keeg/page/279 279] |isbn =0-670-81416-4 |url-access =registration |url =https://archive.org/details/priceofadmiralty00keeg/page/279 }}

The name originates from the French word for stern, {{wikt-lang|fr|poupe}}, from Latin {{wikt-lang|la|puppis}}. Thus the poop deck is technically a stern deck, which in sailing ships was usually elevated as the roof of the stern or "after" cabin, also known as the "poop cabin" (or simply the poop{{sfn|IMD|1961}}). On sailing ships, the helmsman would steer the craft from the quarterdeck, immediately in front of the poop deck. At the stern, the poop deck provides an elevated position ideal for observation.{{cite web|url=http://www.hms-victory.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=105&Itemid=541|title=Poop Deck|work=HMS Victory|publisher=Portsmouth Historic Dockyard|access-date=27 April 2013|quote=Located at the stern, this short deck takes its name from the Latin word puppis – which means after deck or rear. Guns were rarely carried on this deck. It was mainly used as a viewpoint and signaling platform. The poop deck also gave protection to the men at the wheel and provided a roof for the captain's cabin. The ropes controlling the yards (spars) and sails of the main and mizzen masts were operated from the poop deck.|archive-date=6 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806090051/http://www.hms-victory.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=105&Itemid=541|url-status=dead}} While the main purpose of the poop is adding buoyancy to the aft, on a sailing ship the cabin was also used as an accommodation for the shipmaster and officers.{{sfn|IMD|1961}}

On modern, motorized warships, the ship functions which were once carried out on the poop deck have been moved to the bridge, usually located in a superstructure.