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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Skysail

Skysail \Sky"sail\, n. (Naut.) The sail set next above the royal. See Illust. under Sail.

Wiktionary
skysail

n. (context nautical English) The sail set next above the royal.

WordNet
skysail

n. the sail above the royal on a square-rigger

Wikipedia
Skysail

A skysail is the uppermost sail in many old square-rigged sail-plans (though sometimes topped by a moonsail). It was also on the royal mast above the royal sail. It was typically used in light winds.

Image:Regina Maris moonraker and studding 2.jpg|The highest sail is moonraker, lower skysail and royal sail. Image:Clipper (PSF).jpg|Skysail is the highest on the main (middle) mast. Image:Regina Maris moonraker and studding 1.gif Image:Reporter (clipper).jpg Image:Square rig names.gif Image:Moonraker skysail.JPG

Usage examples of "skysail".

I especially liked the words, skysail and moonsail, and turned them over in my mouth as though I was licking honey.

Set fore and maintop, hoist studding sails and skysails, crack on the main royal, yes, and flying jib too.

Her rarely-used studdingsails stretched out brilliant white one after another, her brand-new royals shone high, and above them all, her hitherto unseen skysails twinkled in the sun.

She can bear a great press of sail, and with our clean bottom, I believe we could give even Lively skysails and perhaps an outer jib.

The ship ghosted along on the unruffled sea, her lofty skysails giving her four knots.

The Indiamen chased, cracking on until their skysails carried away, but still the French squadron had the heels of them.

Tippoo, look you to those skysails, they are not drawing as they should.

In spite of the Surprise's splendid display of light fair-weather canvas - studdingsails aloft and alow, royals and even skysails and skyscrapers - she rarely logged more than a hundred miles between one observation and the next.

Those long urgent summer days shone clear in his mind, the blue white-flecked sea and fifteen men-of-war racing eastwards on that blessed wind, studdingsails aloft and alow on either side, royals and skysails, and Rear-Admiral Nelson pacing the Vanguard's deck from before sunrise until after sunset: all that, and the fury of the battle by night, with the darkness perpetually torn and lit by gunfire, and in the midst of it all the unbelievably vast explosion as L'Orient blew up, leaving nothing but silence and blackness for several minutes after.

A prettier sight still as the sun crept to the zenith, for by now she was wearing almost everything she possessed - royals, skysails, skyscrapers, and some strange light lofty staysails - and in addition to these she had spread awnings fore and aft against the intolerable heat.