reef

¹ American  

[reef] / rif /

noun

1. a ridge of rocks or sand, often of coral debris, at or near the surface of the water.

2. Mining. a lode or vein.

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reef ² American  

[reef] / rif /

noun

1. a part of a sail that is rolled and tied down to reduce the area exposed to the wind.

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verb (used with object)

1. to shorten (sail) by tying in one or more reefs.

2. to reduce the length of (a topmast, a bowsprit, etc.), as by lowering, sliding inboard, or the like.

3. to pull (old oakum) out of seams, as with a rave hook (often followed byout ).

Reef ¹ British  

/ riːf /

noun

1. another name for the Great Barrier Reef

2. another name for the Witwatersrand

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reef ² British  

/ riːf /

noun

1. the part gathered in when sail area is reduced, as in a high wind

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verb

1. to reduce the area of (sail) by taking in a reef

2. (tr) to shorten or bring inboard (a spar)

reef ³ British  

/ riːf /

noun

1. a ridge of rock, sand, coral, etc, the top of which lies close to the surface of the sea

2. a ridge- or mound-like structure built by sedentary calcareous organisms (esp corals) and consisting mainly of their remains

3. a vein of ore, esp one of gold-bearing quartz

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reef Scientific  

/ rēf /

1. A strip or ridge of rocks, sand, or coral that rises to or near the surface of a body of water.

2. See more at coral reef

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Other Word Forms

• unreefed adjective

Etymology

Origin of reef¹

1575–85; earlier riff ( e ) < Dutch rif

Origin of reef²

1350–1400; Middle English refe (noun) < Dutch reef

Explanation

A reef is a raised area on the ocean floor that's made of rock, coral, or sand. If you are a scuba diver, head to a coral reef to check out the diverse marine life. A barrier reef is one that surrounds an island and creates a lagoon between the reef and the beach. When this type of reef attracts diverse ocean life, it can be popular with snorkelers and scuba divers. When you're sailing, a reef is a section of the sail that you can roll up when necessary — and to reef is to roll up a reef. Both meanings share an Old Norse root, rif, "ridge under the water."

Example Sentences

Cyanide fishing has historically been used in parts of Southeast Asia to stun or kill fish, often for the live reef trade.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Instead, success depended on specific combinations of features that matched natural reef structures.

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

It is likely that this reef is protected, for now, by its depths and the mountain's steep slopes.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

The tide was lower than expected, so the landing craft were hung up on a reef.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

The days since spring, whenever I went to the reef to fish, he would not go with me unless I urged him to.

From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell

Related Words

• atoll
• beach
• coral reef
• shoal