unrig
Americanverb (used with object)
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to strip of rigging, as a ship.
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to strip of equipment.
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Chiefly British Dialect. to undress.
verb
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(tr) to strip (a vessel) of standing and running rigging
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archaic to undress (someone or oneself)
Etymology
Origin of unrig
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:
They must form a unified coalition of people of all races, genders, sexualities and classes, and band together to unrig the system.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 2, 2020
“So the question is, how do we unrig this system?” says Lawrence, who clearly doesn’t just play a superhero on the big screen.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 27, 2019
Some climbed the masts to unrig her, others rushed into the hold to get out the cargo, and numbers hurried to the cabin to carry off the lighter articles which it contained.
From Old Jack by Kingston, William Henry Giles
This left the three males of the party free to tackle the more arduous duties of the day; and we forthwith proceeded to unrig the boat and make her ready for hoisting.
From Overdue The Story of a Missing Ship by Holloway, W. Herbert
To dismantle a ship of her standing and running rigging.—To unrig the capstan is to take out the bars.
From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir
Get live baits, such as pilchards, herring or goggle-eyes before heading offshore, and keep a few fresh, unrigged ballyhoo in the cooler.
From Time Magazine Archive
President Arturo Illia, a sometime physician, held an unrigged vote in the steaming, depressed northern province of Jujuy and was all but wiped off the slate.
From Time Magazine Archive
A new word game, carefully unrigged, begins under the guidance of Comedian Jan Murray.
From Time Magazine Archive
The ship by this time was considerably unrigged.
For this purpose I unrigged the air-pump apparatus, and almost, but not quite, closed the valve, leaving an aperture about the twentieth part of an inch in diameter.
From Across the Zodiac by Greg, Percy
Emily Bazelon: You talk about breaking up corporate power as a way of unrigging the economy, making people feel a sense of ownership.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026
Nor are taxes the only instrument available for unrigging markets to make them more competitive and equitable.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 16, 2019
“I’m obsessed with this idea — not just of unrigging it but actually fixing it.”
From Washington Post ● Feb. 27, 2019
Notwithstanding the state of the ice, however, we did not remain idle on the 8th, all hands being employed in unrigging the Fury, and landing all her spars, sails, booms, boats, and other top-weight.
From Journal of the Third Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage by Morley, Henry
They were for ever employed in knotting and splicing, and in rigging and unrigging a model ship, which had been made on purpose to instruct them.
From The Three Midshipmen by Prout, Victor
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.
