brail Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a small net used to draw fish into a boat
  2. noun a small rope (one of several) used to draw a sail in
  3. verb take in a sail with a brail
  4. verb haul fish aboard with brails

WordNet

Brail noun
Etymology
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.
Definitions
  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.
Brail transitive verb
Definitions
  1. (Naut.) To haul up by the brails; -- used with up; as, to brail up a sail.

Webster 1913