noun
- Plural of lateen; triangular sails rigged on a long diagonal spar (yard) attached to a mast.
Usage: nautical; historical
Examples
- The Mediterranean trading vessels were equipped with lateens that allowed them to sail closer to the wind.
- Medieval ships used lateens to navigate the coastal waters more efficiently.
- The lateens on the dhow caught the sea breeze as it moved across the harbor.
- Sailors rigged the lateens at an angle to maximize their speed.
- Historic paintings often depict merchant ships with distinctive lateens billowing in the wind.