Adjacent Words

Reef definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

REEF, n.
A certain portion of a sail between the top or bottom and a row of eyelet holes, which is folded or rolled up to contract the sail, when the violence of the wind renders it necessary.
REEF, n.
A chain or range of rocks lying at or near the surface of the water.
REEF, v.t. [from the noun.] To contract or reduce the extent of a sail by rolling or folding a certain portion of it and making it fast to the yard.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
2: a rocky region in the southern Transvaal in northeastern South Africa; contains rich gold deposits and coal and manganese [syn: Witwatersrand, Rand, Reef]
3: one of several strips across a sail that can be taken in or rolled up to lessen the area of the sail that is exposed to the wind v
1: lower and bring partially inboard; "reef the sailboat's mast"
2: roll up (a portion of a sail) in order to reduce its area
3: reduce (a sail) by taking in a reef

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English riff, from Old Norse rif; probably akin to Old Norse r?fa to rend — more at rive Date: 14th century 1. a part of a sail taken in or let out in regulating size 2. reduction in sail area by reefing II. verb Date: 1667 transitive verb 1. to reduce the area of (a sail) by rolling or folding a portion 2. to lower or bring inboard (a spar) wholly or partially intransitive verb to reduce a sail by taking in a reef • reefable adjective III. noun Etymology: Dutch rif, from Middle Dutch, from Old Norse, literally rib; akin to Old English ribb rib — more at rib Date: 1584 1. a. a chain of rocks or coral or a ridge of sand at or near the surface of water — compare atoll, barrier reef b. a hazardous obstruction 2. lode, vein • reefy adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. 1 a ridge of rock or coral etc. at or near the surface of the sea. 2 a a lode of ore. b the bedrock surrounding this. Etymology: earlier riff(e) f. MDu., MLG rif, ref, f. ON rif RIB 2. n. & v. Naut. --n. each of several strips across a sail, for taking it in or rolling it up to reduce the surface area in a high wind. --v.tr. 1 take in a reef or reefs of (a sail). 2 shorten (a topmast or a bowsprit). Phrases and idioms: reefing-jacket a thick close-fitting double-breasted jacket. reef-knot a double knot made symmetrically to hold securely and cast off easily. reef-point each of several short pieces of rope attached to a sail to secure it when reefed. Etymology: ME riff, refe f. Du. reef, rif f. ON rif RIB, in the same sense: cf. REEF(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Reef Reef (r?f), n. [Akin to D. rif, G. riff, Icel. rif, Dan. rev; cf. Icel. rifa rift, rent, fissure, rifa to rive, bear. Cf. Rift, Rive.] 1. A chain or range of rocks lying at or near the surface of the water. See Coral reefs, under Coral. 2. (Mining.) A large vein of auriferous quartz; -- so called in Australia. Hence, any body of rock yielding valuable ore. Reef builder (Zo["o]l.), any stony coral which contributes material to the formation of coral reefs. Reef heron (Zo["o]l.), any heron of the genus Demigretta; as, the blue reef heron (D. jugularis) of Australia.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Reef Reef, n. [Akin to D. reef, G. reff, Sw. ref; cf. Icel. rif reef, rifa to basten together. Cf. Reeve, v. t., River.] (Naut.) That part of a sail which is taken in or let out by means of the reef points, in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind. Note: From the head to the first reef-band, in square sails, is termed the first reef; from this to the next is the second reef; and so on. In fore-and-aft sails, which reef on the foot, the first reef is the lowest part. --Totten. Close reef, the last reef that can be put in. Reef band. See Reef-band in the Vocabulary. Reef knot, the knot which is used in tying reef pointss. See Illust. under Knot. Reef line, a small rope formerly used to reef the courses by being passed spirally round the yard and through the holes of the reef. --Totten. Reef points, pieces of small rope passing through the eyelet holes of a reef-band, and used reefing the sail. Reef tackle, a tackle by which the reef cringles, or rings, of a sail are hauled up to the yard for reefing. --Totten. To take a reef in, to reduce the size of (a sail) by folding or rolling up a reef, and lashing it to the spar.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Reef Reef, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Reefed (r[=e]ft); p. pr. & vb. n. Reefing.] (Naut.) To reduce the extent of (as a sail) by roiling or folding a certain portion of it and making it fast to the yard or spar. --Totten. To reef the paddles, to move the floats of a paddle wheel toward its center so that they will not dip so deeply.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(reefs) A reef is a long line of rocks or sand, the top of which is just above or just below the surface of the sea. An unspoilt coral reef encloses the bay. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Take in (sail).

Moby Thesaurus

ait, archipelago, arrest, atoll, backpedal, backwater, bank, bar, bill, brake, breakwater, cape, cay, check, chersonese, clear the decks, clip the wings, consider every angle, continental island, coral head, coral heads, coral island, coral reef, curb, decelerate, delay, delta, detain, dowse sail, draw rein, ease off, ease up, flat, ford, forearm, foreland, furl, guard against, hand a sail, head, headland, hedge, hold back, hold in check, hold up, holm, hook, impede, insularity, ironbound coast, island, island group, islandology, isle, islet, keep back, key, leave out nothing, ledges, lee shore, let down, let up, lose ground, lose momentum, lose speed, make sure, make sure against, moderate, mull, naze, ness, obstruct, oceanic island, overlook no possibility, peninsula, pitfall, play safe, point, prepare for, promontory, provide a hedge, provide against, provide for, quicksands, reduce sail, reef down, rein in, relax, retard, rockbound coast, rocks, sandbank, sandbar, sands, sandspit, set back, shallow, shallows, shelf, shoal, shoal water, shoals, shorten sail, slack off, slack up, slacken, slow, slow down, slow up, snug down, spit, spur, stay, take in sail, take measures, take precautions, take steps, throttle down, tidal flats, tongue, undercurrent, undertow, wetlands