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

Word History and Origins

Origin of spritsail¹

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

Example Sentences

A little drenched spritsail was spread from an insignificant mast, and four crouching figures with dusky faces were partly visible amidst the wisps of spray that whirled about her.

From Project Gutenberg

Our spritsail yard, broken in two places, dangled from the bowsprit; while our mainmast was splintered from the futtock-shrouds to within ten feet of the deck.

From Project Gutenberg

They swept around it, and after skirting a half-seen, rocky beach ran with spritsail thrashing into a little basin down to which there crept rows of mist-wrapped trees.

From Project Gutenberg

As the ship went in, one of the crew, named Henry Shergall, fell overboard as he was going into the spritsail top, and was drowned; on which account this was named Shergall's Harbour.'

From Project Gutenberg

"Try hoisting the spritsail, John, and see if you can bring the bow about."

From Project Gutenberg