reef

¹ American  

[reef] / rif /

noun

1. a part of a sail that is rolled and tied down to reduce the area exposed to the wind.

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verb (used with object)

1. to shorten (sail) by tying in one or more reefs.

2. to reduce the length of (a topmast, a bowsprit, etc.), as by lowering, sliding inboard, or the like.

3. to pull (old oakum) out of seams, as with a rave hook (often followed byout ).

reef ² American  

[reef] / rif /

noun

1. a ridge of rocks or sand, often of coral debris, at or near the surface of the water.

2. Mining.  a lode or vein.

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reef ¹ British  

/ riːf /

noun

1. a ridge of rock, sand, coral, etc, the top of which lies close to the surface of the sea

2. a ridge- or mound-like structure built by sedentary calcareous organisms (esp corals) and consisting mainly of their remains

3. a vein of ore, esp one of gold-bearing quartz

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Reef ² British  

/ riːf /

noun

1. another name for the Great Barrier Reef

2. another name for the Witwatersrand

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reef ³ British  

/ riːf /

noun

1. the part gathered in when sail area is reduced, as in a high wind

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verb

1. to reduce the area of (sail) by taking in a reef

2. (tr) to shorten or bring inboard (a spar)

reef Scientific  

/ rēf /

1. A strip or ridge of rocks, sand, or coral that rises to or near the surface of a body of water.

2. See more at coral reef

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Other Word Forms

• unreefed adjective

Etymology

Origin of reef¹

1350–1400; Middle English refe (noun) < Dutch reef

Origin of reef¹

1575–85; earlier riff ( e ) < Dutch rif

Example Sentences

They expect that these insights will support efforts to protect coral reefs and help coastal communities manage the growing ecological and economic impacts of Sargassum blooms.

From Science Daily

The Queen Jenuvia 2 is stuck on a reef and unable to move, but there is currently no risk of sinking or capsizing, according to the Coast Guard.

From BBC

Tropical coral reefs, the nursery for a significant share of marine life and crucial to the livelihoods of some 200 million people, are likely already reaching a tipping point, according to recent research.

From Barron's

The study warned that curbing carbon emissions was crucial to allow coral to recover and avoid a "near collapse" of the reef.

From BBC

She compares the human body to a coral reef, where animals, plants, and microscopic organisms “cohabitate as one huge and beautiful chimeric metaorganism.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• atoll
• beach
• coral reef
• shoal