luff

luff  (lf)

n.

1.

a. The act of sailing closer into the wind.

b. The forward side of a fore-and-aft sail.

2. Archaic The fullest part of the bow of a ship.

v. luffed, luff·ing, luffs

v.intr.

1. To steer a sailing vessel closer into the wind, especially with the sails flapping.

2. To flap while losing wind. Used of a sail.

v.tr.

1. To sail (a vessel, such as a yacht) closer into the wind during a race so as to prevent an opponent's craft from passing on the windward side.

2. To raise or lower (the boom of a crane or derrick).

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[Middle English lof, spar holding out the windward tack of a square sail, from Old French, probably of Germanic origin.]

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luff

Verb

1. Naut to sail (a ship) into the wind

2. to move the jib of a crane in order to shift a load [Old French lof]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	luff - (nautical) the forward edge of a fore-and-aft sail that is next to the mast sailing, seafaring, navigation - the work of a sailor edge - the outside limit of an object or area or surface; a place farthest away from the center of something; "the edge of the leaf is wavy"; "she sat on the edge of the bed"; "the water's edge" fore-and-aft sail - any sail not set on a yard and whose normal position is in a fore-and-aft direction
	2.	luff - the act of sailing close to the wind sailing - riding in a sailboat
Verb	1.	luff - sail close to the wind point navigation, pilotage, piloting - the guidance of ships or airplanes from place to place sail - travel on water propelled by wind; "I love sailing, especially on the open sea"; "the ship sails on"
	2.	luff - flap when the wind is blowing equally on both sides; "the sails luffed" flap, undulate, wave, roll - move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion; "The curtains undulated"; "the waves rolled towards the beach"