gaff topsail: Meaning and Definition of

gaff' top'sail

Pronunciation: [key]
— Naut. Naut.
  1. Also calleda jib-headed fore-and-aft sail set above a gaff.
  2. a quadrilateral fore-and-aft sail set above the spanker of a bark, between the gaff of the spanker and an upper gaff.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.