square sail

noun

Nautical.

1. a sail set beneath a horizontal yard, the normal position of which, when not trimmed to the wind, is directly athwartships.

square sail

noun

1. nautical a rectangular or square sail set on a horizontal yard rigged more or less athwartships

Word History and Origins

Origin of square sail¹

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

There was no sign of an anchor, a mast or the square sail typically used by Mediterranean trade ships of the time.

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Some of the ships under development use soft, square sails stacked onto masts, like the famously fast clipper ships of the 19th century, but with sleeker, larger designs.

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Directly ahead of him, across the river with its vivid, square sails, rose the high east bank and the other half of the ancient city of Thebes.

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Downward from this yard he wove on the wind's loom a sail of spells, a square sail white as the snows on Gont peak above.

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It will accommodate 14 long oars and has a small, square sail.

Read more on Seattle Times