Definition of To shorten sail. Meaning of To shorten sail. Synonyms of To shorten sail

Here you will find one or more explanations in English for the word To shorten sail. Also in the bottom left of the page several parts of wikipedia pages related to the word To shorten sail and, of course, To shorten sail synonyms and on the right images related to the word To shorten sail.

Definition of To shorten sail

To shorten sail
Shorten Short"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shortened ?; p. pr. & vb. n. Shortening.] [See Short, a.] 1. To make short or shorter in measure, extent, or time; as, to shorten distance; to shorten a road; to shorten days of calamity. 2. To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen; to abridge; to curtail; to contract; as, to shorten work, an allowance of food, etc. Here, where the subject is so fruitful, I am shortened by my chain. --Dryden. 3. To make deficient (as to); to deprive; -- with of. Spoiled of his nose, and shortened of his ears. --Dryden. 4. To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, pot liquor, or the like. To shorten a rope (Naut.), to take in the slack of it. To shorten sail (Naut.), to reduce sail by taking it in.

Meaning of To shorten sail from wikipedia

- (short pieces of rope) p**** that attach the sail to the yard. A sail may have several reef bands to shorten sail to different degrees. Brail Glossary of nautical...
- fractional sloop rig to take these rigging loads, so is not well suited for lightly built boats. A major disadvantage is that, to shorten sail, the jib must...
- of Sail, ships travelling from Europe to the East Indies or Australasia would sail down the west coast of Africa and round the Cape of Good Hope to use...
- prepared for action, and shortened sail to "fighting sail", i.e. topsails and jibs only. As Constitution closed, Dacres first hove to to fire a broadside, which...
- ships to overtake the slower of the Dutch fugitives, but remained in squadron. At around 9pm, Sandwich even ordered his squadron to shorten sail so that...
- French to attack. As the French shortened sail, the English ships gained the windward position and attacked. Meanwhile, de Burgh's flagship sailed independently...
- watch reported a boat ahead, and Captain FitzRoy ordered "hands up, shorten sail". Using a speaking trumpet he questioned Neptune, who would visit them...
- shortened sails and came to Port Louis (Soledad), Berkeley Sound ... found here a Buenos Ayrean flag flying on s****. 2.30 out boats. 3 furled sails....
- the tension on the brake. Reef Lines, are used to tie-off excess sail, when sails are reefed (shortened). Some modern systems known as "jiffy reefing"...
- crow's-nest, or else out on the yard-arms helping the seaman set or shorten sail, or otherwise ****isting in the handling of the ship. He was a 'whale...