reef
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
reef1
▶noun
- 1 a ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea.
- 2 a vein of gold or other ore.
– origin C16 (earlier as riff): from Mid. Low Ger. and MDu. rif, ref, from ON rif, lit. ‘rib’; cf. reef2.
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
reef2 Sailing
▶noun each of several strips across a sail which can be taken in or rolled up to reduce the area exposed to the wind. ▶verb take in one or more reefs of (a sail).
■ shorten (a topmast or a bowsprit).
'reef' also found in these Oxford entries:
atoll
- barrier reef
- bombora
- butterfly fish
- cay
- coral
- fringing reef
- granny knot
- host
- key
- lagoon
- point
- reef knot
- reeve
- scar
- skerry
- square knot
- surf
- surgeon's knot
