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Reef vs Reefing - What's the difference?

reef | reefing |

As nouns the difference between reef and reefing

is that reef is the itch; any eruptive skin disorder or reef can be a chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying at or near the surface of the water while reefing is the process of reefing (taking in a sail); an act of reefing; also used of clothing .

As verbs the difference between reef and reefing

is that reef is (nautical) to take in part of a sail in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind while reefing is .

As an adjective reef

is scabby; scurvy.

reef

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) ref, hreof, from (etyl) . Compare (l), (l).

Alternative forms

* (l), (l) (Scotland)

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • Scabby; scurvy.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • The itch; any eruptive skin disorder.
  • Dandruff.

    • Etymology 2

    From earlier riff, from (etyl) rif, from (etyl) . More at (l).

    Alternative forms

    * (l) (obsolete)

    Noun

    (wikipedia reef) (en noun)
  • A chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying at or near the surface of the water.
  • (Australia, South Africa) A large vein of auriferous quartz; hence, any body of rock yielding valuable ore.
  • (nautical) A portion of a sail rolled and tied down to lessen the area exposed in a high wind.
  • A reef knot.
    • Derived terms
    * coral reef * close reef * reef band * reef knot * reef line * reef points * reef rash * reef tackle * take a reef in

    Verb

  • (nautical) To take in part of a sail in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind.
  • * 1970' July–December, Margaret Quilty, ''Roller '''Reefing Made Easy'', '' , page 63,
    • Be sure the blocks are securely mounted—they carry a fairish load when the sail is reefed .
    If both reefing line and main halyard are led to the cockpit, even singlehanded reefing is a breeze.
  • * 1995 , David Seidman, The Complete Sailor: Learning the Art of Sailing , page 104,
    • Mains are made smaller by reefing . This can be done by rolling up the sail around the boom, or by the more traditional method of tying down a panel along the foot.
  • * 2004 , Charlie Wing, How Boat Things Work , page 108,
    • The reefing system for a mainsail must be designed to operate efficiently under adverse conditions and to provide proper sail shape when reefed .
  • (Australian) To pull or yank strongly.
  • * 1986 , Jan Wositzky, Me and Phar Lap: The Remarkable Life of Tommy Woodcock , 2011, page 49,
    • And when the Cup came on he stirred them up ?round the barrier and he flew out of the barrier and he pulled and reefed' and pulled and ' reefed and Lewis didn?t let him settle down until about three furlongs from home and when he did settle the horse was all out of stride and he went back through the field a fair bit.
  • * 1994 , Herb Wharton, Cattle Camp: Murrie Drovers and Their Stories , 2010, page 73,
    • Alf told me that one young white stockman, eager to impress the girls, went outside and mounted his horse, then began showing off his prowess, racing past the pub, wheeling and reefing his horse up and down the street, yackeyeing and whooping, flogging his horse with a battered old hat and always turning towards the pub to see if the girls were watching these feats of horsemanship.
  • * 2007 , Marion Houldsworth, Maybe It?ll Rain Tomorrow , 2012, page 104,
    • head stockman would say ‘Cut one out but take him at a walk.? And if you could get that beast out without reefing your horse around, the head stockman – he?d be a pretty cluey old coot - he?s watching that horse?s ears more than what you were doing.
  • (nautical, of paddles) To move the floats of a paddle wheel toward its center so that they will not dip so deeply.
    • Reef the paddles.

    Anagrams

    * fere * free

    reefing

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The process of reefing (taking in a sail); an act of reefing; also used of clothing .
  • * 1852 , Charles Barter, The Dorp and the Veld: or, Six Months in Natal , page 248,
    • I will not detain the reader with the contents of our sea-log, which is full of tackings and reefings , of setting and taking in of sails, and many other manoeuvres.
  • * 1868 April, , Volume 21, page 53,
    • As matters were, our three girls never could be in our kitchen at one time without reefings and manœuvrings of their apparel which much impeded any other labor, and caused some loss of temper;.
  • * 2005 , John S. Bohne, In the Shadow of the Moon , page 28,
    • Many had the bald-headed sail rigging, so crews would not have to go aloft in the winds to do dangerous reefings .
  • (AU, NZ) A reef (seam of quartz).
  • * 1924 , Newspaper Press Directory , page 387,
    • Alluvial goldfields and quartz reefings are in its vicinity, and good indications of coal.
  • * 1977 , William Kelly, Life in Victoria: or, Victoria in 1853, and Victoria in 1858 , page 218,
    • instead of taking a “leap in the dark” — a mistake which impulsive young men sometimes make in other relations of life, as well as in quartz reefings .

    Verb

    (head)

    • Anagrams

    *