brail

1 of 2

noun

ˈbrāl 

1

: a rope fastened to the leech of a sail and used for hauling the sail up or in

2

: a dip net with which fish are hauled aboard a boat from a purse seine or trap

brail

2 of 2

verb

brailed; brailing; brails

transitive verb

1

: to take in (a sail) by the brails

2

: to hoist (fish) by means of a brail

Examples of brail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Some of the traps had watchmen, and the fishermen would cover the front of their boats with black tarps and sneak up to the watchmen’s sheds and hammer the doors shut and then brail the fish out of the nets and sell the fish back to the canneries. —Idaho Statesman, 2 Mar. 2016

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English brayle, from Anglo-French braiel belt, strap, brail, alteration of Old French braiuel belt, probably ultimately from Latin braca pants — more at breech

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1