spinnaker

[ spin-uh-ker ]
/ ˈspɪn ə kər /

noun Nautical.

a large, usually triangular sail carried by a yacht as a headsail when running before the wind or when the wind is abaft the beam.

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Origin of spinnaker

First recorded in 1865–70; said to be alteration of Sphinx, name of the first yacht making regular use of this sail

Words nearby spinnaker

spinet, spingarn, spiniferous, spinifex, spinmeister, spinnaker, spinnbarkeit, spinner, spinneret, spinnery, spinney
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for spinnaker

British Dictionary definitions for spinnaker

spinnaker
/ (ˈspɪnəkə, nautical ˈspæŋkə) /

noun

a large light triangular racing sail set from the foremast of a yacht when running or on a broad reach

Word Origin for spinnaker

C19: probably from spin + (mo) niker, but traditionally derived from Sphinx, the yacht that first adopted this type of sail
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012