fore-and-aft sail

noun

1. any of various sails, as jib-headed sails, gaff sails, lugsails, lateen sails, spritsails, staysails, and jibs, that do not set on yards and whose normal position, when not trimmed, is in a fore-and-aft direction amidships.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fore-and-aft sail¹

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

The little ship, like most traders of the Inmost Sea, bore the high fore-and-aft sail that can be turned to catch a headwind, and her master was a handy seaman, proud of his skill.

From Literature

The catboat was sixteen feet over all, with its mast stepped well forward, of course, carrying a large fore-and-aft sail with gaff and boom.

From Project Gutenberg

To let out a reef, and enlarge the sail.—To shake off a bonnet of a fore-and-aft sail.—To shake a cask.

From Project Gutenberg

Suppose, further, a square sail stretched between the two masts quite flat; and remember that this would be a fore-and-aft sail—namely, one extending along the length, not across the breadth of the vessel.

From Project Gutenberg

The snow was practically a brig, carrying a fore-and-aft sail on the mainmast, with a square sail directly above it.

From Project Gutenberg