trysail

American  

[trahy-seyl, trahy-suhl] / ˈtraɪˌseɪl, ˈtraɪ səl /

noun

Nautical.

1. a triangular or quadrilateral sail having its luff hooped or otherwise bent to a mast, used for lying to or keeping a vessel headed into the wind; spencer.

---

trysail British  

/ ˈtraɪˌseɪl, ˈtraɪsəl /

noun

1. Also called: storm trysail.  a small fore-and-aft sail, triangular or square, set on the mainmast of a sailing vessel in foul weather to help keep her head to the wind

---

Etymology

Origin of trysail

First recorded in 1760–70; try + sail

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trysail

Two days later, the Flame blew into Cowes at dawn under a trysail because her mainsail had been ripped the day before.

From Time Magazine Archive

We have been sailing at around 80 percent with just the No. 4 jib, a trysail and triple-reefed mizzen, but now we have also damaged the mizzen luff track.

From Time Magazine Archive

However, he clung to the weather-shrouds, gasping and dripping with perspiration for the first few moments, because the struggle with the trysail had tried his strength.

From Thrice Armed by Bindloss, Harold

The sheets of fore-and-aft sails may be hauled flat-aft, as the jib-sheet to pay her head off, the driver or trysail sheets to bring her head to the wind; hence, "flatten in the head-sheets."

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir

When we went by the Nannie O her crew were getting the trysail out of the hold, and they finished the race with that, and made good going of it, as we saw afterward.

From The Seiners by Connolly, James B. (James Brendan)