fore-and-aft sail: Meaning and Definition of

fore'-and-aft' sail"

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. any of various sails, as jib-headed sails, gaff sails, lugsails, lateen sails, spritsails, staysails, and jibs, that do not set on yards and whose normal position, when not trimmed, is in a fore-and-aft direction amidships.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.