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

• 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

Example Sentences

Several panels of mesh are woven together to form a circle with multiple brail lines-they attach to the lead line that circles the bottom of the net.

From Time Magazine Archive

The operator then pulls the handline and the brail lines cinch the net closed, capturing the bait.

From Time Magazine Archive

Other noteworthy features include a sectioned horn to separate the connecting brail lines, an oversized 11/0 crane swivel to eliminate twisting and extra reinforcement at all stress points.

From Time Magazine Archive

Let her head off a bit now, and brail up that mainsail again.

From Picked up at Sea The Gold Miners of Minturne Creek by Hutcheson, John C. (John Conroy)

"Lay aft here, and brail the spanker up!" continued the captain, promptly.

From The Sea-Witch Or, the African Quadroon : a Story of the Slave Coast by Ballou, Maturin Murray