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Glite Dictionary
gaff-headed sail

gaff-headed sail

9.9
A four-sided sail set along the boat with its top held by a sloping pole
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : vela de gavia
  • The schooner unfurled its gaff-headed sail as the wind began to pick up.

Examples

  • Traditionally, fishing boats used a gaff-headed sail for its versatility and ease of handling.

  • With its distinctive shape, the gaff-headed sail is common on classic yachts.

  • The boat had a gaff-headed sail for better performance.

  • Many sailors prefer gaff-headed sails for their versatility.

  • The schooner unfurled its gaff-headed sail as the wind began to pick up.

  • Traditionally, fishing boats used a gaff-headed sail for its versatility and ease of handling.

  • With its distinctive shape, the gaff-headed sail is common on classic yachts.

Synonyms

gaffsail
vsgaff-headed sail
  • Specialized
9.9

A four-sided sail held up by a pole along its top edge

specifies the same sail using the geometric term quadrilateral for its shape
fore-and-aft sail
vsgaff-headed sail
  • Specialized
8.6

A sail set along the length of a boat rather than across it

is a specific four-sided type supported at the top rather than a general rigging style

Surface Forms

gaff-headed sail singular
gaff-headed sails plural

Morphology

gaff-headed + sail

The noun is compositionally built: it denotes a sail that is 'headed' by a 'gaff' (i.e. a sail with a gaff at its head), so if a learner knows the components 'gaff' + '-headed' and 'sail' the meaning is derivable. However 'gaff' is a specialized nautical term and 'gaff-headed' is not a general productive pattern familiar to B1 learners, so the connection is not immediately obvious without domain knowledge.

Etymology

The noun gaff-headed sail comes from the pole called a gaff that holds up the sail's head, or 'top edge', so the sail is four-sided instead of a simple triangle. That's why a gaff-headed sail means a sail with a gaff at the top — the gaff gives a straight top and extra support, making the sail easier to shape and handle on a boat.