Editing Quarterdeck (section)

{{short description|Raised deck behind the main mast of a sailing ship}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2020}}

[[File:Quarter Deck Frigate.jpg|thumb|Raised quarterdeck of an 18th-century frigate, between the main mast and the even higher [[poop deck]] at the stern.]]
[[File:HMS Londonderry (F 108) off Miami 1964.jpg|thumb|Before helicopter decks became common, warships such as the {{Sclass|Rothesay|frigate|4}} often had a deck at the stern used for secondary armament.]]
[[File:USS Colorado (BB-45) New York 1932.jpg|thumb|Seaplanes were often operated from the quarterdeck of battleships, as here on {{USS|Colorado|BB-45|6}}]]
[[File:Vasa stern color model.jpg|thumb|right|A model of the richly decorated stern and quarterdeck of {{ship||Vasa|ship|2}}, a sailing warship built in the late 1620s]]
[[File:QuarterdeckKatori.jpg|thumb|right|Quarterdeck of a Japanese warship. Note the watchstanders in uniform, the wooden plaque, and the proximity to the accommodation ladder.]]
The '''quarterdeck''' is a raised deck behind the main mast of a sailing ship. Traditionally it was where the captain commanded his vessel and where the ship's [[Colours, standards and guidons|colours]] were kept. This led to its use as the main ceremonial and reception area on board, and the word is still used to refer to such an area on a ship or even in naval establishments on land. Many such facilities have areas decorated like shipboard quarterdecks.<ref>{{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 =https://archive.org/details/priceofadmiralty00keeg/page/279 }}</ref>

In the 20th century the word came to be applied to the area at the stern of the ship, often (on naval vessels) used for secondary weapons and (on battleships) seaplane catapults.