reef
To take in part of a sail in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the windTo take in part of a sail in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind.
» The coral reef is the region's prime attraction.
Коралловый риф - главная достопримечательность региона. — marafon
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
4 sensesTo take in part of a sail in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind.
reffen
roll up (a portion of a sail) in order to reduce its area
(Australia)To pull or yank strongly, especially in relation to horse riding.
To move the floats of a paddle wheel toward its center so that they will not dip so deeply.
Reef the paddles.
(slang)To manipulate the lining of a person's pocket in order to steal the contents unnoticed.
Examples
52 sentencesThe coral reef is the region's prime attraction.
ruКоралловый риф - главная достопримечательность региона. — marafon
This is one of the most beautiful coral reefs in this area.
Coral reefs are threatened by climate change.
ruКоралловые рифы находятся под угрозой из-за изменения климата. — Selena777
Tom and Mary snorkeled around the reef.
Pollution destroyed the once-vibrant coral reefs.
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English reef, from Old Norse rif, Middle Dutch rif, rēve, and/or Middle Low GeFrom Middle English reef, from Old Norse rif, Middle Dutch rif, rēve, and/or Middle Low German ref. Possibly a figurative use of the word for “rib” in etymology 1 above, in which case all forms must, again, be borrowings from Old Norse. Alternatively it may be a different word related to Old English rift (“curtain, veil”), ārāfian (“to uncoil, wind off”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
reefs, reefing, reefed, reefedWord family
4 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle