noun. One of several small ropes attached to the leech of a sail for drawing the sail in or up.

noun. A small net for drawing fish from a trap or a larger net into a boat.

transitive verb. To gather in (a sail) with brails.

transitive verb. To haul in (fish) with a brail.

noun. A section of a log-raft, six of which make an average tow.

noun. Naut., one of certain ropes made fast to the after-leech of a fore-and-aft sail, and led through blocks on the mast or gaff down to the deck, to assist in taking in the sail; a rope made fast to the head of a jib for a similar purpose.

noun. In falconry: A piece of leather used to bind up a hawk's wing.

noun. [⟨ F. brayeul, “the parts or feathers about the Hauks fundament, called by our falconers the brayl in a shortwinged and the pannel in a long-winged hauk” (Cotgrave).] The mass of feathers about a hawk's fundament; the crissum of a falcon.

To fasten up (the wings of a bird).

Nautical, to haul in by means of the brails: usually followed by up.

noun. A thong of soft leather to bind up a hawk's wing.

noun. Ropes passing through pulleys, and used to haul in or up the leeches, bottoms, or corners of sails, preparatory to furling.

noun. A stock at each end of a seine to keep it stretched.

transitive verb. To haul up by the brails; -- used with up.

noun. a small rope used to truss up sails

verb. To reef, shorten or strike sail using brails.

verb. take in a sail with a brail

noun. a small net used to draw fish into a boat

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

verb. haul fish aboard with brails

"Elsewhere (and prevalently) confusing or misleading information is given (e.g., [at brail] "Earlier spelled brale, it came from Old French, braile, belt."): Is the inference to be that the modern English word brail was borrowed from Old French in the fifteenth century?"

foot-brails  

fish  furl  net  roll up  rope  

brailed  brailing  brails