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spritsail

[ sprit-seyl; Nautical sprit-suhl ]

noun

, Nautical.
  1. a sail extended by a sprit.


spritsail

/ ˈsprɪtˌseɪl; ˈsprɪtsəl /

noun

  1. a rectangular sail mounted on a sprit in some 19th-century small vessels
  2. (in medieval rigging) a square sail mounted on a yard on the bowsprit
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of spritsail1

1425–75; late Middle English sprete seyle ( sprit, sail ); compare Dutch sprietzeil
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Example Sentences

Hell want a bigger kerchief than a spritsail now, Ill be bound.

The spritsail filled with the wind, suddenly, careening the frail open craft till it seemed it would surely capsize.

The spritsail flapped emptily and the boat righted to an even keel, causing the two men swiftly to change position.

Early in the morning I had noticed a tiny outrigger canoe, with an impossible spritsail, skimming the surface of the lagoon.

The people rushed from the guns, and crowded out upon the bowsprit, the spritsail-yard, and the knightheads.

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