Link Centre Dictionary

reef

UK/ɹiːf/ US/ˈrif/ fairly common slang
noun (2) verb (3)

noun

1.

a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water

2.

a rocky region in the southern Transvaal in northeastern South Africa; contains rich gold deposits and coal and manganese

Synonyms

verb

1.

lower and bring partially inboard

  • “reef the sailboat”
2.

roll up (a portion of a sail) in order to reduce its area

3.

reduce (a sail) by taking in a reef

Origin

From Middle English ref, hreof, from Old English hrēof (“rough, scabby, leprous", also "a leper”), from Proto-Germanic *hreubaz (“rough, scabby, scrubby”), from Proto-Indo-European *kreup- (“scab, crust”), related to Old English hrēofla (“leprosy, leper”). Cognate with Scots reif (“a skin disease leaving crusts on the skin, the scab”), Old High German riob (“leprous, scabby, mangy”), Icelandic hrjúfur (“scabby, rough”). Compare riffe, dandruff.

Phrases

  • bag reef
  • Barneys Reef
  • barrier reef
  • Barrys Reef
  • coral reef
  • Douglas Reef
  • Douglass Reef
  • Fiery Cross Reef
  • Forest Reefs
  • reef earing
  • Spanish reef

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.