reef
noun
a ridge of rocks or sand, often of coral debris, at or near the surface of the water.
had reefed
-
past perfectof reef.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
We had reefed our sail to less than four feet, and I put an extra man with the steersman.
From Personal Memoirs of a Residence of Thirty Years with the Indian Tribes on the American Frontiers by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
By that time I had reefed in my ruffles around my feet and pushed in all my hairpins.
From The Melting of Molly by Raymond Moreau Crosby
To meet emergencies, and under the notion he should have his craft more under command, the young man had reefed his mainsail, and taken the bonnets off of the foresail and jib.
From Jack Tier by James Fenimore Cooper
In the meantime the captain had reefed the mainsail down to the last row.
From The Meadow-Brook Girls by the Sea Or The Loss of The Lonesome Bar by Janet Aldridge
