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Glite Dictionary
lateen-rig

lateen-rig

1 9.9
A triangle-shaped sail hung from a long sloping pole attached to the mast
  • noun
  • Specialized
: rigging de vela latina
  • The lateen rig is often used by traditional fishing vessels in coastal waters.

Examples

  • With a well-maintained lateen rig, the ship was able to cut through the waves with ease.

  • The sailboat's lateen rig allowed it to navigate smoothly through the narrow channels.

  • Unless our experimental lateen rig worked perfectly in concert with the guares system, it would be all over for us in roughly 15 minutes.

    Academic text (2002)

Surface Forms

lateen-rig singular
lateen-rigs plural

Morphology

lateen-rig = lateen + rig (transparent) = lateen + rig

A straightforward compound meaning 'a rig using a lateen sail'; the components combine in the expected way.

Etymology

Lateen-rig comes from an old Latin word meaning 'Latin', so sailors called it the 'Latin sail' because people around the Mediterranean used this slanted, triangular sail. So, a lateen-rig is an angled, triangular sail set on a long pole on the mast that helps small ships turn and sail closer to the wind.