reefed

Having part of a sail tied up in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind.

Adjective

  1. Having part of a sail tied up in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind.
    • The mainsail was "scandalised" - a nautical mode of describing a sail reefed at both ends[.] - 1887, Mrs. Dominic D. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 16:
  2. Semi-deployed, with the canopy initially restricted from fully opening, in order to avoid subjecting the canopy to excessive air loads or the payload to excessive g-forces from fully deploying at high airspeed.

Forms

more reefed most reefed

Derived

close-reefed unreefed

Verb

  1. simple past and past participle of reef