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

Example Sentences

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