Category:Reef

Reef (rf), n. Etym: [akin to d. rif, g. riff, icel. rif, dan. rev; Cf. Icel. rifa rift, rent, fissure, rifa to rive, bear. Cf. Rift, Rive.]

1. A chain or range of rocks lying at or near the surface of the water. See coral reefs, under coral.

2. (mining.)

Defn: a large vein of auriferous quartz; -- so called in Australia. Hence, any body of rock yielding valuable ore. Reef builder (zoöl.), Any stony coral which contributes material to the formation of coral reefs.

-- reef heron (zoöl.), any heron of the genus demigretta; as, the Blue reef heron (d.jugularis) of Australia.

Reef Reef, n. Etym: [akin to d. reef, g. reff, sw. ref; cf. Icel. rif Reef, rifa to basten together. Cf. Reeve, v. t., River.] (naut.)

Defn: that part of a sail which is taken in or let out by means of the reef points, in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind.

Note: from the head to the first reef-band, in square sails, is termed the first reef; from this to the next is the second reef; and so on. In fore-and-aft sails, which reef on the foot, the first reef is the lowest part. Totten. Close reef, the last reef that can be put in. -- reef band. See reef-band in the vocabulary. -- reef knot, the knot which is used in tying reef pointss. See Illust. under knot. -- reef line, a small rope formerly used to reef the courses by being passed spirally round the yard and through the holes of the reef. Totten. -- reef pioints, pieces of small rope passing through the eyelet holes of a reef-band, and used reefing the sail. -- reef tackle, a tackle by which the reef cringles, or rings, of a sail are hauled up to the yard for reefing. Totten. -- to take a reef in, to reduce the size of (a sail) by folding or rolling up a reef, and lashing it to the spar.

Reef Reef, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Reefed (reft); p. pr. & vb. n. Reefing.] (naut.)

Defn: to reduce the extent of (as a sail) by roiling or folding a certain portion of it and making it fast to the yard or spar. Totten. To reef the paddles, to move the floats of a paddle wheel toward its center so that they will not dip so deeply.