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Glite Dictionary
cap shroud

cap shroud

9.9
A rope or wire near the top of a sailboat mast that holds it steady
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : soga de tope
  • The crew tightened the cap shroud to keep the mast stable during strong winds.

Examples

  • The yacht's cap shrouds were inspected before the long journey across the Atlantic.

  • Many sailing vessels use a cap shroud to support the mast against lateral forces.

  • A broken cap shroud can put the entire rig at risk on a sailing vessel.

  • The cap shroud was damaged during the storm.

  • Many sailing vessels use a cap shroud for stability.

  • The crew tightened the cap shroud to keep the mast stable during strong winds.

  • A broken cap shroud can put the entire rig at risk on a sailing vessel.

Synonyms

shroud
vscap shroud
  • Specialized
2 8.2

A rope that holds up a parachute or a ship's mast

is a rope attached near the masthead supporting the mast against sideways forces

Surface Forms

cap shroud singular
cap shrouds plural

Morphology

cap + shroud

The compound directly combines 'cap' (the top or masthead) with 'shroud' (a supporting line for a mast), so its meaning — a shroud attached at the cap/head of the mast — is compositionally predictable. This straightforward noun–noun compounding follows regular English patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can infer the MWE without prior exposure.

Etymology

Cap shroud comes from sailors' names for parts of the mast: cap means the top and shroud is a rope or wire that holds things in place. So a cap shroud is the line fixed near the mast top that keeps the mast steady, which is why it means 'a support' for the mast.