Definition of "headsail" [head•sail]

• Nautical A sail, such as a jib, set forward of a foremast. (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.

• "From for'ard came the jerking rattle of headsail halyards through the sheaves."
• "In last night's darkness we helplessly listened to the men loosing headsail-halyards and letting yards go down on the run."
• "Ivor Wilkins Red Dragon, a 51. 7-meter sloop Alloy launched in 2008, displays its name on its headsail in Chinese."