plain sail

American  

noun

Nautical.

1. any of the ordinary working sails of a vessel.

2. all these sails, taken collectively.

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Etymology

Origin of plain sail

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

There was a light breeze from the eastward, and the frigate, under all plain sail, was standing on a bowline to the southward.

From True Blue by Kingston, William Henry Giles

We accordingly jogged along under plain sail until daylight, when we got the studding-sails once more upon the little hooker and tried her paces.

From A Middy in Command A Tale of the Slave Squadron by Hodgson, Edward S.

A few minutes later another report was made to the effect that the other sail—a full-rigged ship—had filled, and was standing to the northward under all plain sail.

From The Voyage of the Aurora by Collingwood, Harry

On turning to my log, I find that on the —, at dawn, we unmoored ship, and under all plain sail ran out of the river of Sierra Leone.

From Tales of the Sea And of our Jack Tars by Robertson, T.

The wind had softened away to about a four-knot breeze; but Leslie was of opinion that, although she showed all plain sail, up to her royals, she was scarcely doing three knots.

From Dick Leslie's Luck A Story of Shipwreck and Adventure by Piffard, Harold