Word · Frequency #6734
reef
/riːf/
verb
收帆；卷帆
To reduce the area of a sail by folding or rolling up part of it, so that it suits the strength of the wind.
- 1.
To take in part of a sail in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind.
收帆；将帆的一部分卷起以适应风力
- 2.
To move the floats of a paddle wheel toward its center so that they will not dip so deeply.
将明轮叶片向中心移动以减少吃水深度
将明轮叶片向中心移动；减小明轮吃水；收帆；将帆的一部分卷起以适应风力；将明轮叶片向中心移动以减少吃水深度；缩(帆)
In use
Before the storm hit, the crew quickly reefed the mainsail to reduce the sail area.
The captain told us to reef the jib because the wind was getting stronger.
When sailing in strong winds, reefing the sails early can keep the boat stable.
Verb forms
base reef · third person reefs · -ing reefing · past reefed · past participle reefed
规则动词；常用于航海语境。
Connections
Synonyms
Confusing words
Learner notes
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 1，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from DICTIONARY_API_DEV, ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.