mainsail
noun/ˈmeɪnseɪl/ · /ˈmeɪnsəl/
Etymology From main + sail.
- The mainsail was "scandalised" - a nautical mode of describing a sail reefed at both ends[.]1887, Mrs. Dominic D. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 16:
- Now stow the mainsail as follows, preferably with the sail still lying in the starboard cockpit: beginning at the head, fold the upper section so that the upper two battens are aligned together; then tightly roll the sail from the head down to the foot. Reinsert the sail into its bag.(Can we date this quote?), “RS Quest Rigging Instructions”, in California State University, Sacramento, page 3:
- Synonyms
- main