Meaning

(archaic) That which steers a nautical vessel; a rudder or a person employing it..

Example Sentences

We immediately threw out all the little things we had with us, ſuch as biſcuits, apples, &c. and after that one of our oars or wings; but ſtill deſcending, we caſt away the other wing, and then the governail ; having likewiſe had the precaution, for fear of accidents, while the Balloon was filling, partly to looſen and make it go eaſy, I now ſucceeded in attempting to reach without the Car, and unſcrewing the moulinet, with all its apparatus; I likewiſe caſt that into the ſea.

That he has contrived a “ self-acting governail, which has the peculiar power of directing the course of the vessel, entirely independent of the action of the helm, and which is positively called into operation by the very presence of danger."

But this whole arsenal of methods remained only a metaphor when it came to the art of governing men politically. What does the helmsman with his governail have to teach those who govern?

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When Should You Use Governail?

Use governail when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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