Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

brail

verb

/breɪl/

Definition

A method of controlling the sails of a sailing vessel by adjusting the lower corners of the sail.

Examples

The sailor began to brail up the sails as the storm approached.
To brail the mainsail, he pulled the lines towards the boat’s deck.
During strong winds, it’s essential to brail the sail to maintain control of the yacht.

Meaning

To brail means to pull in the sails using lines attached to their lower corners to reduce their area and make the vessel more manageable in strong winds.