save-all

American  

[seyv-awl] / ˈseɪvˌɔl /

noun

1. a means, contrivance, or receptacle for preventing loss or waste.

2. Older Use. overalls.

3. Nautical.

   1. a net secured between a pier and a ship, beneath cargo being transferred from one to the other.

   2. a sail for utilizing wind spilled from the regular sails of a vessel: used in very light winds.

---

save-all British  

noun

1. a device to prevent waste or loss

2. nautical

   1. a net used while loading a ship

   2. a light sail set to catch wind spilling from another sail

3. dialect overalls or a pinafore

4. a dialect word for miser 1

---

Etymology

Origin of save-all

First recorded in 1635–45; noun use of verb phrase save all

Example Sentences

A save-all, or small sail, set occasionally under the lower studding-sail or driver-boom, in a fair wind and smooth sea.

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

Economy -- N. economy, frugality; thrift, thriftiness; care, husbandry, good housewifery, savingness†, retrenchment. savings; prevention of waste, save-all; cheese parings and candle ends; parsimony &c.

From Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Roget, Peter Mark

A prayer-book, which he seldom handles A save-all and two farthing candles.

From The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2 by Browning, William Ernst

D Dairy, the business of, generally carried on as a save-all, 96.

From An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Garnier, Germain

All candles, whatever their material, were carefully used by the economical colonists to the last bit by a little wire frame of pins and rings called a save-all.

From Home Life in Colonial Days by Earle, Alice Morse