vang

 
Pronunciation: /vaŋ/

noun

Sailing
  • each of two guy ropes running from the end of a gaff to the deck.
  • (also boom vang) a fitting used to pull a boat’s boom down and help control the shape of the sail.

Origin:

mid 18th century: variant of obsolete fang, denoting a gripping device, from Old Norse fang 'grasp', of Germanic origin