foresail

F4O1R1E1S1A1I1L1

noun

The lowest (and usually the largest) square sail hung on the foremast

Scrabble 11
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Meanings

nounforesail (plural foresails)

plural foresails

  1. on a square-rigged shipnauticalThe lowest (and usually the largest) square sail hung on the foremast
  2. nauticalA square fore-and-aft sail set on the foremast, but behind it, on a schooner or other similar vessel.
  3. on a sloopnauticalA triangular sail set forward of the foremast: forestaysail.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
headsail

Origin

From fore- + sail. Compare Dutch voorzeil, German Vorsegel, Danish forsejl, Swedish försegel.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀρτέμων
  • ἀρτέμων (artémōn)lowest square sail on foremast
Bulgarian фок
  • фок (fok)lowest square sail on foremast
Catalan trinquet
  • trinquetlowest square sail on foremast
Danish fok, forsejl
  • fokin a sloop: triangular sail attached to forestay
  • forsejlin a sloop: triangular sail attached to forestay
Finnish keulapurje, fokka
  • keulapurjelowest square sail on foremast
  • fokkalowest square sail on foremast
  • keulapurjein a sloop: triangular sail attached to forestay
  • fokkain a sloop: triangular sail attached to forestay
French misaine
  • misainelowest square sail on foremast
German Fock
  • Focklowest square sail on foremast
Icelandic fokka
  • fokkain a sloop: triangular sail attached to forestay
Italian trinchetto
  • trinchettolowest square sail on foremast
Cite this entry
APA

foresail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foresail

MLA

“foresail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foresail. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “foresail,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foresail.

Source: foresail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.