/bɹeɪl/
OriginFrom Middle English brayle, from Old French braiel, from Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”) (from bracae (“breeches”)).
- A small rope used to truss up sails.
- A thong of soft leather to bind up a hawk's wing.
- A stock at each end of a seine to keep it stretched.
- A rope or line used to suspend lights or scenery in a certain position.
- in-pluralThe feathers around a hawk's rump.
- To reef, shorten or strike sail using brails.
“The winds blew at their own caprice and there was brailing and loosing of canvas.”
Formsbrails(plural) · brails(present, singular, third-person) · brailing(participle, present) · brailed(participle, past) · brailed(past)