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reef²

(rēf) Nautical

A portion of a sail gathered in and secured to lessen the area exposed to the wind.

tr.v. reefed, reef·ing, reefs

1. To reduce the size of (a sail) by gathering in a part and securing it, as by lashing it to a yard.

2. To shorten (a topmast or bowsprit) by taking part of it in.

[Partly from Middle English rif (from Old Norse rif, from rīfa, to rive) and partly from Dutch and Low German reef (Low German, from Dutch), back-formation from Dutch reven, pl. of rif, reef (of a sail), from or akin to Old Norse rif.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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