hermaphrodite brig en · NOUN
Etymology
So called because it is a hybrid of the two main types of sail plan.
Meanings
-
A two-masted sailing ship which has square sails on the foremast combined with a schooner rig on the mainmast (triangular topsail over a gaff mainsail).
About noon we saw a vessel on a wind to leeward of us, which was a source of great delight to us all, and we bore down to her. We soon made her out to be an hermaphrodite brig, under her close-reefed topsails and trysails.
1846, Frederick Marryat, The Privateersman:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| hermaphrodite brigs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
brig-schooner (two-masted sailing ship) · schooner-brig (two-masted sailing ship)