luff

Definition

The vertical edge of a sail that is closest to the direction of the wind.

Etymology

From Old French lof. Collins English Dictionary states that this word is ultimately derived from Middle Dutch loef. Ellert Ekwall's Shakspere's Vocabulary: its etymological elements (1903) related this verb and loof instead to the East Frisian verb lofen, lufen, which would make it cognate to the French term lover.

Example Sentences

• "By easing the halyard, the luff of the sail was made to sag to leeward."
• ""The man at the helm was watching the luff of the sail and whistling away gently to himself.""