What does headsail mean?
“Headsail” is a nautical term for a sail set forward of a vessel’s foremost mast. In broad usage, it identifies the forward sail or group of sails on a ship or yacht; in more specific descriptions, it can denote a triangular sail supported by a stay. The term is especially associated with traditional sailing craft and with older descriptions of square-rigged ships, although it remains standard in modern sailing terminology. A headsail should not be confused with a headstay, which is a rope or stay, or with a topsail, which is carried above a mast. In contemporary yacht descriptions, the word often appears alongside terms such as jib, stay, halyard, and sheet. The word is transparent in origin: it combines “head,” in the sense of the forward part of a vessel, with “sail,” making it a useful example of the way English compounds directly describe a ship’s equipment and arrangement.
nounA headsail is a sail set forward of a ship’s foremost mast. The term may refer broadly to such a sail or specifically to a triangular sail carried on a stay.
- A sail set forward of the foremost mast.
- A triangular sail carried on a stay, especially on a schooner or similar vessel.
"The crew adjusted the headsail as the yacht entered the stronger breeze."
"The headsail filled as the boat turned into the wind."
"A triangular headsail is often used on modern sailing yachts."
The standard plural is “headsails.”
"The two headsails were reefed as the weather deteriorated."
A headsail is the sail that leads the way, set in front of the ship’s foremost mast.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does headsail come from?
“Headsail” is an English compound formed from “head” and “sail,” with “head” referring to the forward part of a ship. The element “head” ultimately derives from Old English “hēafod,” while “sail” comes from Old English “sægl,” related to the Germanic word for sail. The compound has long been used in English maritime vocabulary to distinguish sails forward of the foremost mast from sails set elsewhere on the vessel.
Related word forms
How headsail is actually used
Chiefly nautical and technical, but also used in general descriptions of sailing vessels and sailing equipment. It is normally written as one word; “head sail” is not the standard form.
Easily confused with headsail
A headsail is a sail, whereas a headstay is the forestay or supporting rope running forward from the bow.
A headsail is positioned forward of the foremost mast, while a topsail is carried above a mast.