LUFF

luff

Noun

  1. The vertical edge of a sail that is closest to the direction of the wind.
    By easing the halyard, the luff of the sail was made to sag to leeward.
  2. The act of sailing a ship close to the wind.
  3. The roundest part of a ship's bow.
  4. The forward or weather leech of a sail, especially of the jib, spanker, and other fore-and-aft sails.

Verb

  1. To shake due to being trimmed improperly.
  2. To alter course to windward so that the sails luff. (Alternatively luff up)
  3. to let out sail so that it luffs.
  4. To alter the vertical angle of the jib of a crane so as to bring it level with the load.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: luff
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

Need help with a clue?
Try your search in the crossword dictionary!