topsail
UK /ˈtɒp.seɪl/ · US /ˈtɑp.seɪl/ noun, proper noun
Forms topsails
- noun (nautical) A sail or either of the two sails rigged just above the course sail and supported by the topmast on a square-rigged sailing ship.
- noun (nautical) In a fore-and-aft-rigged sailing boat, the sail that is set above the gaff at the top part of the mast.
- proper noun A neighbourhood of Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Etymology
From Middle English topsail, topsayl, topseyle, topsaill, equivalent to top + sail.
Most likely named after Topsail Head.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “topsail”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details