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Glite Dictionary
💪 To carry with effort 🔩 A projecting part 🪱 A bait worm ⛵ A boat sail
lug

lug

9.9
A sail with four corners hung from an angled pole on small boats
  • noun
  • /lʌg/
  • Specialized
: vela de verga
  • The sailor expertly hoisted the lug to catch the favorable wind as they navigated through the bay.

Examples

  • Lugs and spankers, jibs and spinnakers, top gallants and moonrakers, all spread to the wind.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • In the small boat, we adjusted the position of the lug to improve our speed on the water.

  • Every time we sailed, we ensured the lug was properly rigged to maximize our sail's efficiency.

Synonyms

lugsail
vslug
  • Specialized
9.9

A four-cornered sail that hangs from a slanted pole attached to the mast

notes that it is commonly used on small boats

Compounds

big lug
  • Informal
12 6.1

A large clumsy person who is kind and liked

lug wrench
  • Specialized
3 4.8

A tool for loosening or tightening the nuts that hold a car wheel

Surface Forms

lug singular
lugs plural

Etymology

Lug for a type of sail comes from an old northern European word meaning 'to hang' or 'to sling', because this sail hangs from a yard and is slung across the mast, which is why a lug is a simple four-cornered sail for small boats.