Reef

Quick meaning: Reef is a noun meaning A chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying at or near the surface of the water.

Meaning

A chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying at or near the surface of the water.

More Meanings

1. (Australia, South Africa) A large vein of auriferous quartz; hence, any body of rock yielding valuable ore.
2. (nautical) A portion of a sail rolled and tied down to lessen the area exposed in a high wind.
3. A reef knot.
4. (nautical) To take in part of a sail in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind.
5. (Australia) To pull or yank strongly, especially in relation to horse riding.
6. (nautical, of paddles) To move the floats of a paddle wheel toward its center so that they will not dip so deeply.
7. (slang) To manipulate the lining of a person's pocket in order to steal the contents unnoticed.

Example Sentences

He reefed on the handbrake and sat smoking his cigarette, gazing out through the windscreen at the driveway.

The reefing system for a mainsail must be designed to operate efficiently under adverse conditions and to provide proper sail shape when reefed.

Mains are made smaller by reefing. This can be done by rolling up the sail around the boom, or by the more traditional method of tying down a panel along the foot.

"When the day arrived that the boy was to be skipper, the weather was calm and fine, but he called all men to reef sails, so the ship had scarcely any sail on her."

Word Forms

• reefs
• reefing
• reefed
• reefer
• reefest

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include countryside, rural, fringing, create, reeve, coral.

Related Dictionary Tools