fore-and-aft sail

American  

noun

1. any of various sails, as jib-headed sails, gaff sails, lugsails, lateen sails, spritsails, staysails, and jibs, that do not set on yards and whose normal position, when not trimmed, is in a fore-and-aft direction amidships.

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Etymology

Origin of fore-and-aft sail

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fore-and-aft sail

The little ship, like most traders of the Inmost Sea, bore the high fore-and-aft sail that can be turned to catch a headwind, and her master was a handy seaman, proud of his skill.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

The act of shifting over the boom of a fore-and-aft sail from one side of the vessel to the other.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir

The snow was practically a brig, carrying a fore-and-aft sail on the mainmast, with a square sail directly above it.

From American Merchant Ships and Sailors by Abbot, Willis J. (Willis John)

Behind the main-sail there is a small fore-and-aft sail similar to the main-sail of a schooner, which is called the boom-main-sail.

From Man on the Ocean A Book about Boats and Ships by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)

His canoe, with a long fore-and-aft sail, and so well adapted for working into the wind, was not well rigged for drifting before a breeze, which was what he was now doing.

From After London Or, Wild England by Jefferies, Richard