headsail

[ hed-seyl; Nautical hed-suh l ]

/ ˈhɛdˌseɪl; Nautical ˈhɛd səl /

any of various jibs or staysails set forward of the foremost mast of a vessel.

any sail set on a foremast, especially on a vessel having three or more masts.

Origin of headsail

First recorded in 1620–30; head + sail

First, the smallness of the yard to which the head of the gaff-topsail is laced; and secondly, the great size of the headsail.

King's Cutters and Smugglers 1700-1855 |E. Keble Chatterton
John Paul himself taught me to tack and wear ship, and MacMuir to stow a headsail.

Richard Carvel, Complete |Winston Churchill
From for'ard came the jerking rattle of headsail halyards through the sheaves.

A Son Of The Sun |Jack London
The young skipper was determined to test the question, and, lashing the helm, he hoisted her headsail.

Little Bobtail |Oliver Optic

The essentials of the schooner are two fore-and-aft sails and a headsail (jib), any other sails being incidental.

Some Notes on Shipbuilding and Shipping in Colonial Virginia |Cerinda W. Evans

headsail

/ (ˈhɛdˌseɪl, nautical ˈhɛdsəl) /

any sail set forward of the foremast