Definition of "gaff-topsail" [gaff•-top•sail]

• Nautical A light triangular or quadrilateral sail set over a gaff. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Within a minute the mainsail and gaff-topsail were hauled down, so that the ship might fall off, and the jib hauled down."
• "But while we were looking, down came the gaff of her mainsail, and the gaff-topsail fell all adrift; a lucky shot had cut her peak halyards."
• "I got hold of the gaff-topsail yard and run it under his arms, and threw a rope over him, and sung out 'Hold on, Greenleaf! hold on, and we'll save you yet.'"