Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Nautical, the uppermost sail ordinarily carried on the mainmast, next above the topgallantsail, and used only in a light breeze.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • These braces come down to the ship's sides, or to the heads of the masts fore and aft of those on which the yard is swung; all the mizzen-braces working on the mainmast; the maintopgallant, mainroyal and skysail braces working on the mizzenmast; and the foretopgallant and foreroyal braces working on the mainmast, as is clearly shown in our illustration.

    Golden Days for Boys and Girls, Vol. XIII, Nov. 28, 1891 Various

  • Late in the afternoon, the ship being under all plain sail, on the port tack, heading due west, the voice of the lookout on the mainroyal-yard floated down to the deck in that hail which is always thrilling at sea, and was doubly so in this instance, --

    For Love of Country A Story of Land and Sea in the Days of the Revolution Cyrus Townsend Brady 1890

  • And so, by doing the seamanly work themselves and putting ropes into the hands of the crew, the mate and the two boatswains got sail on the ship, even to the jib-topsail and the mainroyal staysail.

    The Grain Ship Morgan Robertson 1888

  • The brig came down the wind like a graceful bird -- a splendid craft, black, shiny, and shipshape, five guns to a side, brass-bound officers on her quarter-deck, blue-jackets darting about her white deck and up aloft, a homeward-bound pennant trailing from her main-truck, and at her gaff-end a British ensign as large as her mainroyal.

    "Where Angels Fear to Tread" and Other Stories of the Sea Morgan Robertson 1888

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  • Sail on the mainmast of a ship, deployed above the topgallantsail in slight winds.

    November 25, 2010