brail

[ breyl ]

/ breɪl /

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noun

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

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

verb (used with object)

Nautical.

to gather or haul in (a sail) by means of brails (usually followed by up).
to transfer (fish) from a net to the hold of a ship.

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

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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-al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM brail

un·brailed, adjective

Words nearby brail

braid bar, braided, braided channel, braided stream, braiding, brail, Brăila, Braille, Braillewriter, Braillist, Brailowsky

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

How to use brail in a sentence

Now we will put the last reef in the foresail and hoist it, slack the brail and haul down the main-tack a bit.
A Chapter of Adventures|G. A. Henty
Then the brail of the mainsail was loosed, and the great sail shaken out.
Sturdy and Strong|G. A. Henty
I did, Mr Brail; but it was the cruise before last—we have been six months here.
The Cruise of the Midge (Vol. II of 2)|Michael Scott
Why, you seem strangely given to the darkness, Mr Brail; it cannot be because your deeds are evil; won't you join the dancers?
The Cruise of the Midge (Vol. II of 2)|Michael Scott

Beg pardon, Mr Brail, but let abee for let abee with mad dogs and daft folk, is an auld but a very true adage.
The Cruise of the Midge (Vol. I of 2)|Michael Scott

British Dictionary definitions for brail

brail

/ (breɪl) nautical /

noun

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

verb

(tr sometimes foll by up) to furl (a fore-and-aft sail) using brails

Word Origin for brail

C15: from Old French braiel, from Medieval Latin brācāle belt for breeches, from Latin brāca breeches

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012