- Square-rigged ship - Formerly, any small sailing vessel, as a pinnace, fishing
smack, etc.; also, a rowing boat; a barge. Now applied poetically to a
sailing vessel or boat of any kind. - A three-masted vessel, having her foremast and mainmast
square-rigged, and her mizzenmast schooner-rigged. - Same as 3d Bark, n.
- Having the sails extended upon yards suspended
horizontally by the middle, as distinguished from fore-and-aft sails;
thus, a ship and a brig are square-rigged vessels.
- Part of an old ship's rigging - In a square-rigged vessel, the sail next above the
lowermost sail on a mast. This sail is the one most frequently reefed
or furled in working the ship. In a fore-and-aft rigged vessel, the
sail set upon and above the gaff. See Cutter, Schooner, Sail, and Ship.