STAYSAIL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does staysail mean? 

• STAYSAIL (noun)
  The noun STAYSAIL has 1 sense:

1. a fore-and-aft sail set on a stay (as between two masts)

  Familiarity information: STAYSAIL used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STAYSAIL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A fore-and-aft sail set on a stay (as between two masts)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("staysail" is a kind of...):

fore-and-aft sail (any sail not set on a yard and whose normal position is in a fore-and-aft direction)

 Context examples 

“’Tis the fear iv death at the hearts iv them,” Louis muttered in my ear, as I passed forward to see to taking in the flying jib and staysail.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I pulled till I burst open the ends of all my fingers; and while I pulled, the flying-jib and staysail split their cloths apart and thundered into nothingness.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

As quietly as was possible, I clewed up the topsails, lowered the flying jib and staysail, backed the jib over, and flattened the mainsail.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

My hands were full with the flying-jib, jib, and staysail; and by the time this part of my task was accomplished the Ghost was leaping into the south-west, the wind on her quarter and all her sheets to starboard.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)