square sail
noun
ˈskwer-ˌsāl 
-səl
: a 4-sided sail extended on a yard suspended at the middle from a mast
Examples of square sail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After three days in space, giving the miniature satellite time to get away from FASTSAT, NanoSail-D was supposed to deploy its fragile cargo: a square sail, 10 meters by 10 meters and made of a whisper-thin reflective polymer.
—
Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2010
At the same time, the vessel may have had a single mast with a square sail, similar to a Viking ship.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Nov. 2022
According to Bill Nye, the advent of CubeSats actually led to the current square sail design.
—Amy Thompson, Smithsonian, 25 June 2019
After seven days in space, LightSail 2 will pop out of its container, extend four long booms, and deploy four sheets of mirror-like Mylar plastic into a 340-square-foot, square sail.
—NBC News, 3 June 2019
When the wind blew favorably, the crew would have hoisted a square sail on the mast; the rest of the time, rowers would have lined up on the benches and propelled the ship along with large oars.
—Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 24 Oct. 2018
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2010
At the same time, the vessel may have had a single mast with a square sail, similar to a Viking ship.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Nov. 2022
According to Bill Nye, the advent of CubeSats actually led to the current square sail design.
—Amy Thompson, Smithsonian, 25 June 2019
After seven days in space, LightSail 2 will pop out of its container, extend four long booms, and deploy four sheets of mirror-like Mylar plastic into a 340-square-foot, square sail.
—NBC News, 3 June 2019
When the wind blew favorably, the crew would have hoisted a square sail on the mast; the rest of the time, rowers would have lined up on the benches and propelled the ship along with large oars.
—Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 24 Oct. 2018
Dictionary Entries Near square sail
Cite this Entry
“Square sail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/square%20sail. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share