death roll

noun

In a keel boat, the act of broaching to windward, putting the spinnaker pole into the water and causing a crash-gybe of the boom and mainsail, which sweep across the deck and plunge down into the water.

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Meanings

noundeath roll (plural death rolls)

plural death rolls

  1. nauticalIn a keel boat, the act of broaching to windward, putting the spinnaker pole into the water and causing a crash-gybe of the boom and mainsail, which sweep across the deck and plunge down into the water.
  2. The behaviour where a crocodilian rolls underwater so as to drown its prey or tear off pieces of meat to eat.
Cite this entry
APA

death roll. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/death%20roll

MLA

“death roll.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/death%20roll. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “death roll,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/death%20roll.

Source: death roll on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.