brail

American  

[breyl] / breɪl /

noun

1. Nautical. any of several horizontal lines fastened to the edge of a fore-and-aft sail or lateen sail, for gathering in the sail.

2. a leather binding for a hawk's wings, to prohibit flight.

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verb (used with object)

1. Nautical.

   1. to gather or haul in (a sail) by means of brails (usually followed byup ).

   2. to transfer (fish) from a net to the hold of a ship.

2. to bind (the wings of a bird) in order to prevent it from flying.

brail British  

/ breɪl /

noun

1. one of several lines fastened to the leech of a fore-and-aft sail to aid in furling it

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verb

1. to furl (a fore-and-aft sail) using brails

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unbrailed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of brail

1400–50; late Middle English, variant of brayell < Anglo-French braiel; Old French < Medieval Latin brācāle breechbelt, noun use of neuter of brācālis, equivalent to Latin brāc ( ae ) trousers (< Gaulish ) + -ālis -al ¹