Yawls

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of sailing vessel with two masts, traditionally rigged with a sloop or cutter sail arrangement; often used for pleasure sailing or small boat racing
2. Referring to a small, often single-decked sailing ship that can be easily maneuvered in coastal waters; typically featuring a main and foremast
3. Describing a maritime craft characterized by its twin masts and various sail configurations, commonly utilized for leisure or competitive sailing activities

Etymology: "Yawls" is simply the plural of "yawl", a sailing boat with two masts, the mizzen mast stepped aft of the rudder post. The name appears to come from Low German or Dutch, where a word like "jolle" or "jol" named a small boat. The Dutch and German forms may reach back to a Germanic word for something tube-shaped, a link that is possible but not firmly established. Some scholars also suspect the name is imitative, mimicking a sound, though the evidence for that is thin. The word belongs to a family of northern European boat names, and its exact history remains uncertain.

Synonyms: boats, crafts