Hypertext Webster Gateway: "brail"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Plaice \Plaice\, n. [F. plaise, plais, prob. fr. L. platessa
flatish, plaice. See {Place}.] (Zo["o]l.)
(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}.]
{Plaice mouth}, a mouth like that of a plaice; a small or wry
mouth. [R.] --B. Jonson.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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}.]
1. (Falconry) A thong of soft leather to bind up a hawk's
wing.
2. pl. (Naut.) Ropes passing through pulleys, and used to
haul in or up the leeches, bottoms, or corners of sails,
preparatory to furling.
3. A stock at each end of a seine to keep it stretched.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Brail \Brail\, v. t. (Naut.)
To haul up by the brails; -- used with up; as, to brail up a
sail.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
brail
v 1: take in a sail with a brail
2: haul fish aboard with brails
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