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Fine Dictionary

Square-sail

Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
  1. Square-sail
    a four-sided sail extended by yards suspended by the middle at right angles to the mast
Etymology

Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary O. Fr. esquarre (Fr. équerre)—L. ex-quadrāre, to square—quadrus, conn. with quatuor, four.

Usage in the news

The tall ship Gazela, built in Portugal built in 1883 in Portugal and said to be the oldest sailing square rigger still sailing in the US, will be visiting New York Aug 19-23. blog.nj.com

Hippie name aside, the boat is pretty darn cool, with unusual A-frame masts that reach 177 feet (nearly the length of the ship) and sails that measure 13,520 square feet. popsci.com

In its latest research consulting firm Retail Sails breaks down which stores make the most money per square foot . abclocal.go.com

Usage in literature

Then squaring away before the wind she spread her willing sails, and flew onward like a bird. "Voyage of the Liberdade" by Captain Joshua Slocum

He next ordered a dozen small boys aloft, to reef and set her upper square-sail. "News from the Duchy" by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

Five big shells sailed squarely over the house at the same moment. "The Victim" by Thomas Dixon

The wind being aft, and the sail square, all he had to do was to keep his oar in the centre. "A Journey to the Centre of the Earth" by Jules Verne

The hood sailed up and struck the two knife-men squarely. "Police Your Planet" by Lester del Rey

It was a mizzen-top-sail, beyond a question, and above it was fluttering the little square flag of the rear-admiral. "The Two Admirals" by J. Fenimore Cooper

For this purpose, those steamers which have to go into the torrid zone ought to be provided with large square fore-sails. "A General Plan for a Mail Communication by Steam, Between Great Britain and the Eastern and Western Parts of the World" by James MacQueen

They were of more graceful build and had large square sails, but were of barely half the tonnage of the flagship. "From Pole to Pole" by Sven Anders Hedin

Each boat was provided with a small mast and a large square sail. "Three Boys in the Wild North Land" by Egerton Ryerson Young

On seeing this, the schooner wore, and, setting a large square sail, ran off before the wind to the westward. "From Powder Monkey to Admiral" by W.H.G. Kingston

Usage in poetry
On the middle of that quiet floor
sits a fleet of small black ships,
square-rigged, sails furled, motionless,
their spars like burnt match-sticks.
"Square the mainyard!" the silence breaking,
Like Gabriel's trumpet rang the word;
Out of the dawn the wind came, waking
The sleeping sails, so long unstirred.
"I wish I may lie where them ships lie, an' no more sail the sea,
An' drink the drink them dead men drank, poor sailormen like me,—
So let me drink if I forget, an' so for ever lie,
If ever I ship with square'eads more until the day I die."