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definitions

wind sail

[wind]
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noun Nautical.

a sail rigged over a hatchway, ventilator, or the like, to divert moving air downward into the vessel.

Origin of wind sail

First recorded in 1715–25
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for windsail

Historical Examples of windsail

  • The windsail hangs limp and breathless, and the thermometer stands at 120° Fah.

    An Ocean Tramp

    William McFee

  • There was no suggestion of oppressiveness in the air and a windsail was not necessary to keep the cabin fresh and cool.

  • If clear decks are wanted, the windsail is about as inconvenient as it is ugly, and that is saying a great deal.

  • The flaps of the windsail hang dead, the sides of the canvas tube have fallen in like the neck of a skinny old man.

    An Ocean Tramp

    William McFee

  • Away southward lies a black streak on the sky-line and the windsail flickers a little.

    An Ocean Tramp

    William McFee

British Dictionary definitions for windsail

windsail

noun

a sail rigged as an air scoop over a hatch or companionway to catch breezes and divert them below
any of the vanes or sails of a windmill
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