reefed
adj1
Nautical, Transport Having part of a sail tied up in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind.
- 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:
2
Aeronautics, Aerospace, Aviation, Business, Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Of a parachute Semi-deployed, with the canopy initially restricted from fully opening, in order to avoid subjecting the canopy to excessive air loads or the payload to excessive g-forces from fully deploying at high airspeed.
- Derived terms
- close-reefed, unreefed