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Glite Dictionary
🎣 A fishing net 🎣 To haul fish ⛵ A sail rope ⛵ To gather sail
to brail

to brail

9.9
To pull a sail in with ropes so it can be tied
  • verb
  • /breɪl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : recoger la vela
  • Brail up the foresail!

Examples

  • Once the wind died down, the crew began to brail the sails to prevent damage.

  • After adjusting the ropes, she skillfully brailed the sail to secure it.

  • He decided to brail the sail to prepare for storage after the voyage.

Synonyms

to bouse
vsto brail
  • Archaic
9.9

To pull heavy things using a rope and pulley

is used to gather in a sail for furling with small ropes

Surface Forms

brail infinitive
brailed past
brailed past participle
brailing present participle
brails third person singular

Etymology

Brail comes from an old French word braiel meaning 'little belt', so to brail a sail is to 'belt' it up with ropes and gather it for furling or securing. That is why the verb brail today means to take up or gather a sail with ropes.