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.

Nearby words

spingarn, spingarn, joel elias, spiniferous, spinifex, spinmeister, spinnaker, spinnbarkeit, spinner, spinneret, spinnery, spinney

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spinnaker

His material must be conveyed across Spinnaker Lake in some other way.
The Rainy Day Railroad War|Holman Day
This was clever work, but the Spray sailors did fully as as well, for they had their spinnaker on just as fast.
The Young Oarsmen of Lakeview|Ralph Bonehill
With our spinnaker "set" we just skimmed homeward, reaching Warren in an hour.
Harper's Round Table, July 23, 1895|Various
The method adopted by American yachtsmen for setting the spinnaker has many points in its favour.
Yachting Vol. 1|Various.

Her spinnaker collapsed like a torn balloon, but Red Rose leaped on, pressed by straining sail.
Wyndham's Pal|Harold Bindloss

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

Word Origin and History for spinnaker

spinnaker

"large triangular sail," 1866, either a derivative of spin in the sense of "go rapidly" or a corrupt pronunciation of Sphinx, which was the name of the first yacht known to carry this type of sail.