The Collaborative International Dictionary
Topping \Top"ping\, n.
The act of one who tops; the act of cutting off the top.
(Naut.) The act of raising one extremity of a spar higher than the other.
pl. That which comes from hemp in the process of hatcheling.
(Angling) The tail of an artificial fly.
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something placed on top of another thing, such as a sauce or garnish on food; as, a three-scoop banana split with three different toppings; an ice-cream cone with chocolate fudge topping.
Topping lift (Naut.), a large, strong tackle employed to raise or top the end of a gaff, or of a boom.
Wiktionary
n. (context nautical English) A large, strong tackle used to raise or top the end of a gaff, or of a boom.
Wikipedia
The topping lift (more rarely known as an uphaul) is a line which applies upward force on a boom on a sailboat.
Part of the running rigging, topping lifts are primarily used to hold a boom up when the sail is lowered. 1 This line would run from near the free end of the boom(s) forward to the top of the mast. The line may be run over a block at the top of the mast and down to the deck to allow it to be adjusted. For small booms, the topping lift may be run from end of the boom to the backstay or next mast aft. When the sail is raised again, the topping lift is loosened or removed. On sailboats used for racing, boom lift function is frequently incorporated into the boom vang system, to reduce the number of lines aloft. Allowing the vang to take this function also simplifies operation of the boat. 2
On larger or older sailing vessels (such as the schooner illustrated), lifts known as "quarter-lifts" run to the middle of the boom. When the sail is raised, the quarter-lift on the leeward side must be slack, otherwise it will cut into the sail and cause it to lose its shape. When tacking, the new windward lift must be tightened and the new leeward lift let out.
A topping lift may also refer to a line on the front of the mast used to rig the spinnaker pole. It is used to trim the pole to the proper height when hoisting the spinnaker.
Usage examples of "topping lift".
The topping lift was slackened away so that the mainsail took up the weight of the boom.
See, she's got one topping lift rigged to the end of the mizzen boom.