Search Result for "brail": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (2)

1. a small net used to draw fish into a boat;

2. a small rope (one of several) used to draw a sail in;


VERB (2)

1. take in a sail with a brail;

2. haul fish aboard with brails;


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Plaice \Plaice\, n. [F. plaise, plais, prob. fr. L. platessa flatish, plaice. See Place.] (Zool.) (a) A European food fish (Pleuronectes platessa), allied to the flounder, and growing to the weight of eight or ten pounds or more. (b) A large American flounder (Paralichthys dentatus; called also brail, puckermouth, and summer flounder. The name is sometimes applied to other allied species. [Written also plaise.] [1913 Webster] Plaice mouth, a mouth like that of a plaice; a small or wry mouth. [R.] --B. Jonson. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Brail \Brail\, v. t. (Naut.) To haul up by the brails; -- used with up; as, to brail up a sail. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Brail \Brail\, n. [OE. brayle furling rope, OF. braiol a band placed around the breeches, fr.F. braies, pl., breeches, fr. L. braca, bracae, breeches, a Gallic word; cf. Arm. bragez. Cf. Breeches.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Falconry) A thong of soft leather to bind up a hawk's wing. [1913 Webster] 2. pl. (Naut.) Ropes passing through pulleys, and used to haul in or up the leeches, bottoms, or corners of sails, preparatory to furling. [1913 Webster] 3. A stock at each end of a seine to keep it stretched. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

brail n 1: a small net used to draw fish into a boat 2: a small rope (one of several) used to draw a sail in v 1: take in a sail with a brail 2: haul fish aboard with brails