Unrigs

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To remove the rigging or gear from a vessel or structure
2. To dismantle equipment or supports, typically for safety or transport
3. To disassemble or take apart rigging systems in maritime or theatrical contexts

Etymology: "Unrigs" is the third-person singular present form of "unrig", meaning to strip a ship, or something similar, of its rigging. The verb is formed from the reversing prefix "un-" attached to "rig", so its origin lies in the parent verb "rig" rather than in any separate older word. The "un-" prefix has been attached to English verbs for centuries to mean the reverse of an action, as in "unpack" or "untie". Here it turns "rig", the act of equipping a vessel with its masts, sails and ropes, into the act of removing that equipment. The -s ending simply marks the present tense with a third-person subject, such as "she unrigs the mast."

Synonyms: disassembles, dismantles, removes rigging

Antonyms: rigs, assembles, sets up