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brail

Syllabification: (brail)
Pronunciation: /brāl/

Sailing
Definition of brail

noun

(brails)
  • small ropes that are led from the leech of a fore-and-aft sail to pulleys on the mast for temporarily furling it.

verb

[with object] (brail a sail up)
  • furl (a sail) by hauling on brail ropes.

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French braiel, from medieval Latin bracale 'girdle', from braca 'breeches'

brail in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of brail in the British & World English dictionary

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