What does reefing mean?
Reefing is the nautical practice of shortening a ship's sails to reduce speed or make the vessel safer in strong winds. A sailor may reef by tying or rolling sections of sail onto the boom or yard, depending on the type of rig, and the amount of sail removed can be described in stages such as a single reef or a double reef. The word is most often used as the present participle or gerund of “reef,” as in “the crew began reefing the sails.” Its use is specialized and strongly associated with sailing, but the verb can also appear figuratively when writers compare managing a difficult situation to reducing sail. Knowing the term helps distinguish a deliberate reduction of sail from simply lowering an anchor or stopping a vessel.
To shorten or take in one or more sails in order to reduce a vessel's speed or make it safer to sail.
"They reefed the main sail as the wind strengthened."
Usually used of sailors and sailing vessels; it is a technical nautical verb.
The action or practice of shortening a ship's sails, especially in rough or strong weather.
"The skipper's first response to the rising wind was careful reefing."
The noun form is less common than the verb form and remains chiefly nautical.
Reefing is a sailor's shortcut for slowing down before the wind gets the better of the ship.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reefing come from?
The verb “reef” comes from Middle Dutch reef, meaning a ridge or reef, and ultimately relates to Old Norse rif, “ridge” or “rocky reef.” The nautical sense developed because a reef is a line of rocks on which a ship might strike, and reefing is the corresponding action of reducing sail before dangerous conditions. Words such as “rift,” “riven,” and “rifling” belong to a related Germanic family based on the idea of splitting or dividing. “Rifling” and “rifle” entered English through different developments of that same root.
Related word forms
How reefing is actually used
This is primarily a nautical term. In its verb form, it is commonly used with “the sails,” “a sail,” or a named sail such as “the main”; the related noun phrases “a single reef” and “a double reef” describe stages of sail reduction. The spelling can be confused with “reaping,” especially in speech.
Easily confused with reefing
Reefing is the nautical practice of shortening sails, whereas reaping is the harvesting of crops.
Reefing reduces a ship's sail area to control speed, while rifting means splitting or opening a gap.