reef1
/riːf
/noun
1A ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea.Below are beautiful coral reefs, turtles, sharks and a clean ocean floor....
- To illustrate the point, Knowlton offers the example of coral reefs, which she describes as the most diverse ecosystems in the world.
- Mostly we dived shallow coral reefs in the order of 12m deep and less.
Synonyms
shoal, bar, sandbar, sandbank, spit;
ridge, ledge, shelf, atoll, key;
barrier reef, fringing reef;
Scottish skerry;
in Spanish America cay
1.1A vein of ore in the earth, especially one containing gold.Apparently, three of the Struben brothers' workers were among those who struck gold in the main reef....
- The city's population grew during that decade from 70,000 to over 500,000, as fortunes were won and lost on the nearby gold reefs.
- The story of gold is told in a bus tour taking in the site where Harrison identified the gold reef in Langlaagte.
Origin
Late 16th century (earlier as riff): from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch rif, ref, from Old Norse rif, literally 'rib', used in the same sense; compare with reef2.
A coral reef is often curved in the shape of a rib, which is the origin of the word, as it comes from Old Norse rif ‘rib, reef’.
Rhymes
reef2
/riːf/Sailing
noun
Each of the several strips across a sail which can be taken in or rolled up to reduce the area exposed to the wind.We had to sail her with ‘two reefs in’, a reduced sail area for the rough conditions.
verb [with object]
1Take in one or more reefs of (a sail): reef the mainsail in strong winds...
- Early on, the wind filled to 18 knots and the yachts were forced to reef their mainsails and change headsails under difficult conditions.
- Captain Valentine ordered his men to reef the sails and lower the anchors, while he once again reminded Jose and the young boy about their jobs.
- Tahr perched herself precariously on the window ledge watching the evening activity along the wharves: fishing boats being tied, cargo being unloaded, sails being reefed and mended.
1.1Shorten (a topmast or a bowsprit).Even if the sails were incomplete, couldn't they have been reefed down, rip-stopped, patched, or sewed?
Origin
Middle English: from Middle Dutch reef, rif, from Old Norse rif, literally 'rib', used in the same sense; compare with reef1.