brail

US: (brāl)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

brail  (brāl), n. 

1. Nautical, Naval Terms any of several horizontal lines fastened to the edge of a fore-and-aft sail or lateen sail, for gathering in the sail.
2. Sport a leather binding for a hawk's wings, to prohibit flight.

v.t. 

3. [Naut.]
   • Nautical to gather or haul in (a sail) by means of brails (usually fol. by up).
   • Naval Terms to transfer (fish) from a net to the hold of a ship.
4. Sport, Birds to bind (the wings of a bird) in order to prevent it from flying.

• Gaulish) + -ālis -al¹
• Medieval Latin brācāle breechbelt, noun, nominal use of neuter of brācālis, equivalent. to Latin brāc(ae) trousers (
• Anglo-French braiel; Old French
• late Middle English, variant of brayell 1400–50