different between luff vs cunningham

English

Etymology

From Old French lof. Collins English Dictionary states that this word is ultimately derived from Middle Dutch loef. Ellert Ekwall's Shakspere's Vocabulary: its etymological elements (1903) related this verb and loof instead to the East Frisian verb lofen, lufen, which would make it cognate to the French term lover.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l?f/
• Rhymes: -?f

Noun

luff (plural luffs)

1. (nautical) The vertical edge of a sail that is closest to the direction of the wind.

2. (nautical) The act of sailing a ship close to the wind.
3. (nautical) The roundest part of a ship's bow.
4. (nautical) The forward or weather leech of a sail, especially of the jib, spanker, and other fore-and-aft sails.

Translations

Verb

luff (third-person singular simple present luffs, present participle luffing, simple past and past participle luffed)

1. (nautical, of a sail, intransitive) To shake due to being trimmed improperly.
2. (nautical, of a boat, intransitive) To alter course to windward so that the sails luff. (Alternatively luff up)
3. (nautical, transitive) to let out (a sail) so that it luffs.
4. (mechanical) To alter the vertical angle of the jib of a crane so as to bring it level with the load.

Derived terms

References

English

Etymology

Named after its inventor, Briggs Cunningham.

Noun

cunningham (plural cunninghams)

1. (nautical) A downhaul located at the tack of a sail, used for tightening the luff.

See also

• Cunningham (sailing) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Finnish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English cunningham.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?kun?i?h?m/, [?kun?i?h?m]
• IPA^(key): /?k?ni?hæm/, [?k?ni?hæm]

Noun

cunningham

1. (nautical) cunningham

Declension

Synonyms

• gunnari, kunnari