Definition

Noun: The mizzen course is the principal and lowest square sail set on the mizzenmast of a sailing vessel. It is the main driving sail on that mast.

Usage

The term is used specifically in the context of traditional sailing ship rigging and nautical history. It describes a specific sail position.

Examples

• The sailors climbed the rigging to reef the mizzen course before the storm hit.
• On a full-rigged ship, the mizzen course is set below the mizzen topsail.
• The wind filled the mizzen course, helping to steady the ship's motion.

Advanced Usage

• The mizzen course was often smaller than the main course and fore course on a ship.
• In some later sailing ship designs, the mizzen course was replaced by a fore-and-aft sail called a spanker.

Variants and Related Words

• Mizzen (noun): The mast located aft of the mainmast, typically the third mast on a ship.
• Course (noun, nautical): The principal square sail set on the lowest yard of a mast. (e.g., , ).
• Mizzenmast (noun): The mast on which the mizzen course is set.

Synonyms

• Crossjack (noun): Another name for the mizzen course, especially when it is a square sail on a vessel where the aft mast carries fore-and-aft sails higher up. The terms are often used interchangeably in historical contexts.

Notes

This is a highly specialized nautical term. Its usage is largely historical, pertaining to the era of large sailing ships with square rigs.

Noun

1. the lowermost sail on a mizzenmast