topsail

noun — 2 senses

noun

US /ˈtɑp.seɪl/ · UK /ˈtɒp.seɪl/

Etymology From Middle English topsail, topsayl, topseyle, topsaill, equivalent to top + sail.

Nautical, Transport A sail or either of the two sails rigged just above the course sail and supported by the topmast on a square-rigged sailing ship.

Nautical, Transport In a fore-and-aft-rigged sailing boat, the sail that is set above the gaff at the top part of the mast.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.