reef
from
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
reef
n 1: a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the
water
2: a rocky region in the southern Transvaal in northeastern
South Africa; contains rich gold deposits and coal and
manganese [syn: {Witwatersrand}, {Rand}, {Reef}]
3: one of several strips across a sail that can be taken in or
rolled up to lessen the area of the sail that is exposed to
the wind
v 1: lower and bring partially inboard; "reef the sailboat's
mast"
2: roll up (a portion of a sail) in order to reduce its area
3: reduce (a sail) by taking in a reef
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Reef \Reef\ (r[=e]f), n. [Akin to D. rif, G. riff, Icel. rif,
Dan. rev; cf. Icel. rifa rift, rent, fissure, rifa to rive,
bear. Cf. {Rift}, {Rive}.]
1. A chain or range of rocks lying at or near the surface of
the water. See {Coral reefs}, under {Coral}.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Mining.) A large vein of auriferous quartz; -- so called
in Australia. Hence, any body of rock yielding valuable
ore.
[1913 Webster]
{Reef builder} (Zool.), any stony coral which contributes
material to the formation of coral reefs.
{Reef heron} (Zool.), any heron of the genus {Demigretta};
as, the blue reef heron ({Demigretta jugularis}) of
Australia.
[1913 Webster]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Reef \Reef\, n. [Akin to D. reef, G. reff, Sw. ref; cf. Icel.
rif reef, rifa to basten together. Cf. {Reeve}, v. t.,
{River}.] (Naut.)
That part of a sail which is taken in or let out by means of
the reef points, in order to adapt the size of the sail to
the force of the wind.
[1913 Webster]
Note: From the head to the first reef-band, in square sails,
is termed the first reef; from this to the next is the
second reef; and so on. In fore-and-aft sails, which
reef on the foot, the first reef is the lowest part.
--Totten.
[1913 Webster]
{Close reef}, the last reef that can be put in.
{Reef band}. See {Reef-band} in the Vocabulary.
{Reef knot}, the knot which is used in tying reef pointss.
See Illust. under {Knot}.
{Reef line}, a small rope formerly used to reef the courses
by being passed spirally round the yard and through the
holes of the reef. --Totten.
{Reef points}, pieces of small rope passing through the
eyelet holes of a reef-band, and used reefing the sail.
{Reef tackle}, a tackle by which the reef cringles, or rings,
of a sail are hauled up to the yard for reefing. --Totten.
{To take a reef in}, to reduce the size of (a sail) by
folding or rolling up a reef, and lashing it to the spar.
[1913 Webster]
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
123 Moby Thesaurus words for "reef":
ait, archipelago, arrest, atoll, backpedal, backwater, bank, bar,
bill, brake, breakwater, cape, cay, check, chersonese,
clear the decks, clip the wings, consider every angle,
continental island, coral head, coral heads, coral island,
coral reef, curb, decelerate, delay, delta, detain, dowse sail,
draw rein, ease off, ease up, flat, ford, forearm, foreland, furl,
guard against, hand a sail, head, headland, hedge, hold back,
hold in check, hold up, holm, hook, impede, insularity,
ironbound coast, island, island group, islandology, isle, islet,
keep back, key, leave out nothing, ledges, lee shore, let down,
let up, lose ground, lose momentum, lose speed, make sure,
make sure against, moderate, mull, naze, ness, obstruct,
oceanic island, overlook no possibility, peninsula, pitfall,
play safe, point, prepare for, promontory, provide a hedge,
provide against, provide for, quicksands, reduce sail, reef down,
rein in, relax, retard, rockbound coast, rocks, sandbank, sandbar,
sands, sandspit, set back, shallow, shallows, shelf, shoal,
shoal water, shoals, shorten sail, slack off, slack up, slacken,
slow, slow down, slow up, snug down, spit, spur, stay,
take in sail, take measures, take precautions, take steps,
throttle down, tidal flats, tongue, undercurrent, undertow,
wetlands
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