Reef word meaning and definition

[noun] a rocky region in the southern Transvaal in northeastern South Africa; contains rich gold deposits and coal and manganese
[noun] a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
[verb] reduce (a sail) by taking in a reef
[verb] roll up (a portion of a sail) in order to reduce its area
[verb] lower and bring partially inboard, as of a mast on a sailboat

\Reef\ (r?f), n. [Akin to D. rif, G. riff, Icel. rif, Dan. rev; cf. Icel. rifa rift, rent, fissure, rifa to rive, bear. Cf. {Rift}, {Rive}.] 1. A chain or range of rocks lying at or near the surface of the water. See {Coral reefs}, under {Coral}. 2. (Mining.) A large vein of auriferous quartz; -- so called in Australia. Hence, any body of rock yielding valuable ore. {Reef builder} (Zo["o]l.), any stony coral which contributes material to the formation of coral reefs. {Reef heron} (Zo["o]l.), any heron of the genus {Demigretta}; as, the blue reef heron ({D. 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}.] (Naut.) 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. Note: 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. {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. [imp. & p. p. {Reefed} (r[=e]ft); p. pr. & vb. n. {Reefing}.] (Naut.) To reduce the extent of (as a sail) by roiling or folding a certain portion of it and making it fast to the yard or spar. --Totten. {To reef the paddles}, to move the floats of a paddle wheel toward its center so that they will not dip so deeply.

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