REEF
Dictionary entry overview: What does Reef mean?
• REEF (noun)
The noun REEF has 2 senses:
1. a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
2. a rocky region in the southern Transvaal in northeastern South Africa; contains rich gold deposits and coal and manganese
Familiarity information: REEF used as a noun is rare.
• REEF (verb)
The verb REEF has 3 senses:
1. lower and bring partially inboard
2. roll up (a portion of a sail) in order to reduce its area
3. reduce (a sail) by taking in a reef
Familiarity information: REEF used as a verb is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• REEF (noun)
Meaning:
A submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)
Hypernyms ("reef" is a kind of...):
ridge (a long narrow natural elevation or striation)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "reef"):
coral reef (a reef consisting of coral consolidated into limestone)
Meaning:
A rocky region in the southern Transvaal in northeastern South Africa; contains rich gold deposits and coal and manganese
Classified under:
Nouns denoting spatial position
Synonyms:
Witwatersrand; Reef; Rand
Instance hypernyms:
part; region (the extended spatial location of something)
Holonyms ("Reef" is a part of...):
Transvaal (a province of northeastern South Africa originally inhabited by Africans who spoke Bantu; colonized by the Boers)
• REEF (verb)
Meaning:
Lower and bring partially inboard
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Context example:
reef the sailboat's mast
Hypernyms (to "reef" is one way to...):
bring down; get down; let down; lower; take down (move something or somebody to a lower position)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Roll up (a portion of a sail) in order to reduce its area
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "reef" is one way to...):
furl; roll up (form into a cylinder by rolling)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Reduce (a sail) by taking in a reef
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "reef" is one way to...):
reduce; shrink (reduce in size; reduce physically)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s
