spinnaker

American  

[spin-uh-ker] / ˈspɪn ə kər /

noun

Nautical.

1. 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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spinnaker British  

/ ˈspæŋkə, ˈspɪnəkə /

noun

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

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Etymology

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spinnaker

During the qualifying trip, he broke several ribs falling over in rough seas and a key piece of equipment, his spinnaker pole, was lost overboard.

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026

Lost Bay is a one day, single race regatta for mono-hull sailboats of at least twenty feet with both spinnaker and non-spinnaker divisions.

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2024

“I like the colors of the kite,” she said, pointing to the pink, blue and purple spinnaker during a lull in the wind.

From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2021

Tomes’s long-eared bat, native to forests in Central and South America, has combined both — towering, wide ears shaped like the spinnaker on a yacht, plus a nose like the prow of a Viking ship.

From New York Times ● Dec. 11, 2020

Mom walks to the edge of the ocean in her silk dress and stockings, her pleated skirt ballooning like a spinnaker, and flings the picture into the sea.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

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