sprit

[ sprit ]
/ sprɪt /

noun Nautical.

a small pole or spar crossing a fore-and-aft sail diagonally from the mast to the upper aftermost corner, serving to extend the sail.

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Origin of sprit

before 900; Middle English spret, Old English sprēot; cognate with Dutch, German Spriet; akin to sprout

Words nearby sprit

sprinkler system, sprinklered, sprinkling, sprint, sprint medley, sprit, sprite, sprite crab, spritsail, spritz, spritzer
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for sprits

British Dictionary definitions for sprits

sprit
/ (sprɪt) /

noun

nautical a light spar pivoted at the mast and crossing a fore-and-aft quadrilateral sail diagonally to the peak

Word Origin for sprit

Old English spreot; related to Old High German spriuzen to support, Dutch spriet sprit, Norwegian sprӯta
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