lateen

1 of 2

adjective

la·​teen lə-ˈtēn How to pronounce lateen (audio)
: being or relating to a rig used especially on the north coast of Africa and characterized by a triangular sail extended by a long spar slung to a low mast

lateen

2 of 2

noun

1
or less commonly lateener : a lateen-rigged ship
2
: a lateen sail

Examples of lateen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Crew members from the USS Normandy seized a huge cache of weapons from a dhow – a small vessel with lateen sails – on Sunday while conducting maritime security operations in the U.S. Central area of operations. Fox News, 14 Feb. 2020
Noun
Unlike the lumbering tall ships of the 1800s, the Iskatel runs on a combination of two outboard engines and four lateen sails. Garland Kelly, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lateen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

French (voile) latine, literally, Latin (Mediterranean) sail

First Known Use

Adjective

1740, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lateen was in 1740

Dictionary Entries Near lateen

Cite this Entry

“Lateen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lateen. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lateen

adjective
la·​teen
lə-ˈtēn
: of, relating to, or being a sailing rig used especially along the north coast of Africa having a triangular sail extended by a long pole attached to a short mast
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!