staysail
- noun
- /ˈsteɪˌseɪl/
- Specialized
- [ Caroline ] I GOT THE STAYSAIL.
Examples
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The crew worked quickly to adjust the staysail as the wind picked up.
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Set your fore staysail and your fore and main topsails.
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Come on, you guys, give him a hand with the staysail!
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- Harden up the main staysail.
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Harden up the main staysail.
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- Free the staysail.
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- Free the staysail!
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Adjusting the staysail helped improve the boat's stability during the race.
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After setting the staysail, the captain noticed a significant increase in speed.
Synonyms
A triangular sail set just in front of the foremast on a large sailing ship
A small triangular sail set just ahead of the front mast on a large sailing ship
Compounds
- Specialized
A triangular sail set just in front of the foremast on a large sailing ship
- Specialized
A small triangular sail set just ahead of the front mast on a large sailing ship
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Staysail comes from the parts stay and sail: a stay is 'a strong rope that holds a mast' and a sail is 'cloth that catches the wind'. So a staysail is a sail fixed to a stay, usually between two masts, that helps balance the boat and catch more wind.