foresail
Americannoun
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the lowermost sail on a foremast.
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the staysail or jib, set immediately forward of the mainmast of a sloop, cutter, knockabout, yawl, ketch, or dandy.
noun
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the aftermost headsail of a fore-and-aft rigged vessel
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the lowest sail set on the foremast of a square-rigged vessel
Etymology
Origin of foresail
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There is the jib tussle, then the jib, then the staysail, then the foresail, then the mainsail.
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2017
Jib, a triangular foresail used when sailing into or across the wind.
From Time Magazine Archive
On the morning of the seventh day out, she had covered 800 miles and was making splendid headway, with her mainsail, foresail, forestay sail and jib set and full.
From Time Magazine Archive
Spinnaker, a huge, billowing foresail used for sailing downwind.
From Time Magazine Archive
Stuart grabbed the foresail boom and pulled with all his might.
From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
