reef
noun
a ridge of rocks or sand, often of coral debris, at or near the surface of the water.
were reefing
-
past progressiveof reef.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Finisterre's No. 2 Genoa blew out, but the crew replaced it and bore down while bigger yachts were reefing cautiously.
From Time Magazine Archive
Two hours afterward, on San Pablo Bay, the wind was piping up and we were reefing down.
From A Collection of Stories by Jack London
It soon freshened, and by two o'clock in the morning the noise of the flapping sails, as the men were reefing them, and of the wind roaring through the rigging, was deafening.
From A First Year in Canterbury Settlement by Samuel Butler
