daggerboard

noun

dag·​ger·​board ˈda-gər-ˌbȯrd How to pronounce daggerboard (audio)
: a removable narrow centerboard in some small boats that is raised and lowered by sliding up and down

Examples of daggerboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This is a full-race boat with zero concessions to creature comfort, to the point where the carbon-fiber daggerboard in the water under the central hull reverberates up through the cabin to the mast and over to the outrigger hulls. Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 8 July 2023 First, engineers at Maserati Centro Stile helped develop sensors for the daggerboard and dual rudders in order to reduce water resistance. Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 8 July 2023 Daggerboards on both hulls are in the water for a few moments during tacks and gybes. Bernie Wilson, The Seattle Times, 21 June 2017 That could be due in part to the shape of their daggerboards, but for Oracle to alter its own would be a complex process. Christopher Clarey, New York Times, 18 June 2017 Their pedaling powers the hydraulic systems used to trim the wingsail and raise and lower the daggerboards, or retractable centerboards, that are tipped with hydrofoils. Bernie Wilson, The Seattle Times, 21 June 2017 Usually, only one of the two larger foils at the front (called daggerboards or L-foils, because of their distinctive shape) is in the water. Chris Jones, Popular Mechanics, 1 June 2017

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of daggerboard was circa 1930

Dictionary Entries Near daggerboard

Cite this Entry

“Daggerboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daggerboard. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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