forestaysail

American

[fawr-stay-sayl, fohr-, fawr-stay-suhl, fohr-] / ˌfɔrˈsteɪˌseɪl, ˌfoʊr-, ˌfɔrˈsteɪ səl, ˌfoʊr- /

noun

a triangular sail set on a forestay; the innermost headsail of a vessel.

forestaysail British

/ fɔːˈsteɪˌseɪl, fɔːˈsteɪsəl /

noun

nautical the triangular headsail set aftermost on a vessel

"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

Etymology

Origin of forestaysail

First recorded in 1735–45; forestay + sail

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.

See Examples For:

forestaysail

Stuart jumped for the halyards, and the jib and the forestaysail came rippling down.

From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White

John had no resource but to put up a forestaysail, and run before the gale.

From In Search of the Castaways; or the Children of Captain Grant by Jules Verne

Every jib and forestaysail on board having now been torn out, the brig remained under close-reefed foretopsail, spencer, and spanker, and did little but drift to leeward.

From Overland by J. W. (John William) De Forest

Blown away fore lower topsail, forestaysail, and carried away lifts to staysail.

From More Cargoes 1897 by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs

Then she went forward and did the same to the forestaysail.

From Wild Justice: Stories of the South Seas by Lloyd Osbourne

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023