lateen

1 of 2

adjective

la·​teen lə-ˈtēn 

: being or relating to a rig used especially on the north coast of Africa and characterized by a triangular sail extended by a long spar slung to a low mast

lateen

2 of 2

noun

1

or less commonly lateener

lə-ˈtē-nər 

: a lateen-rigged ship

2

: a lateen sail

Examples of lateen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Crew members from the USS Normandy seized a huge cache of weapons from a dhow – a small vessel with lateen sails – on Sunday while conducting maritime security operations in the U.S. Central area of operations. —Fox News, 14 Feb. 2020

Noun

Unlike the lumbering tall ships of the 1800s, the Iskatel runs on a combination of two outboard engines and four lateen sails. —Garland Kelly, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Sep. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

French (voile) latine, literally, Latin (Mediterranean) sail

First Known Use

Adjective

1740, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lateen

adjective

la·​teen

lə-ˈtēn

: of, relating to, or being a sailing rig used especially along the north coast of Africa having a triangular sail extended by a long pole attached to a short mast