becalm

[ bih-kahm ]

See synonyms for: becalm becalmed on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to deprive (a sailing vessel) of the wind necessary to move it; subject to a calm: The schooner was becalmed in the horse latitudes for two weeks.
Archaic. to calm; pacify.

Origin of becalm

First recorded in 1550–60; be- + calm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

This ceiling-high fabrication may not directly address the show’s theme, but for anyone becalmed during the past 18 months, humanity’s assault on nature was an apt subject for contemplation.
In the galleries: Sequence of photographs creates a graphic continuity | Mark Jenkins | August 27, 2021 | Washington Post
Then that Monday, with their nerves becalmed and their emotions moved, they drove back toward Texas.
Sarah Fuller made history. Her parents understand why her moment matters. | Chuck Culpepper | December 3, 2020 | Washington Post
I am making a sail according to your lordship's plan, to becalm the hull of the ship, but want sailcloth for completing it.
The Life of Thomas, Lord Cochrane, Tenth Earl of Dundonald, Vol. II | Thomas Lord Cochrane
Ships are generally obliged to be towed into the harbor, in consequence of the high points which tower high, and becalm them.
Torrey's Narrative | William Torrey
An imprisoned man who asks for an Italian book to becalm his fever may be safely presumed to know that language.
Fray Luis de Len | James Fitzmaurice-Kelly

One sail is also said to becalm another when the wind is aft.
Practical Boat-Sailing | Douglas Frazar
becalm, and henceforth think that the peril is mine, not yours.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete | Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

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