reef

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

reef, n. [Akin to D. rif, G. riff, Icel. rif, Dan. rev; cf. Icel. rifa rift, rent, fissure, rifa to rive, bear. Cf. Rift, Rive.].

•  A chain or range of rocks lying at or near the surface of the water. See Coral reefs, under Coral.  [1913 Webster]
•  A large vein of auriferous quartz; -- so called in Australia. Hence, any body of rock yielding valuable ore.  [1913 Webster]

Reef builder (Zoöl.), any stony coral which contributes material to the formation of coral reefs. -- Reef heron (Zoöl.), any heron of the genus Demigretta; as, the blue reef heron (Demigretta jugularis) of Australia.

reef, n. [Akin to D. reef, G. reff, Sw. ref; cf. Icel. rif reef, rifa to basten together. Cf. Reeve, v. t., River.].

 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]
" 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.

reef, v. t. 

 To reduce the extent of (as a sail) by rolling or folding a certain portion of it and making it fast to the yard or spar.  Totten.  [1913 Webster]

To reef the paddles, to move the floats of a paddle wheel toward its center so that they will not dip so deeply.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

reef, n.
1 a ridge of rock or coral etc. at or near the surface of the sea.
2 a a lode of ore. b the bedrock surrounding this.

reef, n. & v. Naut.
--n. each of several strips across a sail, for taking it in or rolling it up to reduce the surface area in a high wind.
--v.tr.
1 take in a reef or reefs of (a sail).
2 shorten (a topmast or a bowsprit).

Idiom

reefing-jacket a thick close-fitting double-breasted jacket. reef-knot a double knot made symmetrically to hold securely and cast off easily. reef-point each of several short pieces of rope attached to a sail to secure it when reefed.

Etymology

ME riff, refe f. Du. reef, rif f. ON rif RIB, in the same sense: cf. REEF(1)

THESAURUS

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

ROGET THESAURUS

reef

Slowness

VB move slowly, creep, crawl, lag, slug, drawl, linger, loiter, saunter, plod, trudge, stump along, lumber, trail, drag, dawdle, grovel, worm one's way, steal along, job on, rub on, bundle on, toddle, waddle, wabble, slug, traipse, slouch, shuffle, halt, hobble, limp, caludicate, shamble, flag, falter, trotter, stagger, mince, step short, march in slow time, march in funeral procession, take one's time, hang fire, retard, relax, slacken, check, moderate, rein in, curb, reef, strike sail, shorten sail, take in sail, put on the drag, apply the brake, clip the wings, reduce the speed, slacken speed, slacken one's pace, lose ground.

Island

N island, isle, islet, eyot, ait, holf, reef, atoll, breaker, archipelago, islander, insular, seagirt, archipelagic, Fluids in Motion.