Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A triangular sail hoisted on a stay.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Any sail which hoists upon a stay. See stay, 1.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Naut.) Any sail extended on a stay.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun nautical A fore-and-aft rigged sail whose luff can be affixed to a stay running forward from a mast to the deck, the bowsprit or to another mast.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a fore-and-aft sail set on a stay (as between two masts)

Etymologies

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Examples

  • My hands were full with the flying-jib, jib, and staysail; and by the time this part of my task was accomplished the Ghost was leaping into the south-west, the wind on her quarter and all her sheets to starboard.

    Chapter 17 2010

  • The full-jib was also set, and, as it departed in shreds, the fore-topmast staysail was being hoisted.

    CHAPTER XXXVIII 2010

  • Louis muttered in my ear, as I passed forward to see to taking in the flying jib and staysail.

    Chapter 19 2010

  • Lars with the broken leg, and Davis laid off for keeps -- why, sir, we'll soon be that weak it'll take both watches to set a staysail.

    CHAPTER XV 2010

  • As the schooner went into the wind and backed her jib and staysail the whaleboat was swung out.

    A SON OF THE SUN 2010

  • The heavy block hurtled through the air, smashing Dorety's head like an egg-shell and hurtling on and back and forth as the staysail whipped and slatted in the wind.

    MAKE WESTING 2010

  • "Old Kinross is setting that fisherman's staysail," he remarked quietly.

    Chapter 19 2010

  • "Why hasn't he got that big fisherman's staysail on her?" she demanded irritably.

    Chapter 19 2010

  • Captain Cullen bent over suddenly and cast the staysail-sheet off from its pin.

    MAKE WESTING 2010

  • The Jessie swung off under her full staysail, then the foresail, double-reefed, was run up.

    Chapter 3 2010

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