reef
see also: Reef
Pronunciation Etymology 1

From earlier riff, from Middle English rif, from Old Norse rif, from Proto-Germanic *ribją, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rebʰ-.

Noun

reef (plural reefs)

  1. A chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying at or near the surface of the water.
  2. (Australia, South Africa) A large vein of auriferous quartz; hence, any body of rock yielding valuable ore.
Translations Translations Etymology 2

From Middle English reef, from Old Norse rif, Middle Dutch rif, rēve, and/or Middle Low German ref.

Noun

reef (plural reefs)

  1. (nautical) A portion of a sail rolled and tied down to lessen the area exposed in a high wind.
  2. A reef knot.
Translations Verb

reef (reefs, present participle reefing; simple past and past participle reefed)

  1. (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, Boating, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=76an4_5iF7EC&pg=PA63&dq=%22reefed%22|%22reefing%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SUsBUKLQBOq5iQff89iXCA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22reefed%22|%22reefing%22%20-intitle%3A%22%22%20-inauthor%3A%22%22&f=false 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.
  2. (Australian) To pull or yank strongly, especially in relation to horse riding.
  3. (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.
  4. (slang) To manipulate the lining of a person's pocket in order to steal the contents unnoticed.
    • Myron M. Stearns, So You Lost Your Pocketbook?, in 1940, The Rotarian (volume 56, number 2, page 39)
      This was done by "reefing." He put two fingers just inside the opening and lifted the lining a trifle. Although I watched his hands, I could feel nothing, so gently did his fingers work. Reefing a couple of times, he lifted my handkerchief, as he might have taken out anything else.
Translations Etymology 3

From Middle English ref, hreof, from Old English hrēof, from Proto-Germanic *hreubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kreup-, related to Old English hrēofla.

Adjective

reef (comparative reefer, superlative reefest)

  1. Scabby; scurvy.
Synonyms Noun

reef (plural reefs)

  1. (Now chiefly dialectal) The itch; any eruptive skin disorder.
  2. (Now chiefly dialectal) Dandruff.

Reef
Etymology

Borrowed from North German Reef, possibly related to Reep, or otherwise from obsolete rif (from Proto-West Germanic *hrif).

Proper noun
  1. Surname.



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