hermaphrodite brig

English

a Hermaphrodite-brig

Etymology

So called because it is a hybrid of the two main types of sail plan.

Noun

hermaphrodite brig (plural hermaphrodite brigs)

1. (nautical) A two-masted sailing ship which has square sails on the foremast combined with a schooner rig on the mainmast (triangular topsail over a gaff mainsail).
   • 1846, Frederick Marryat, The Privateersman:

     About noon we saw a vessel on a wind to leeward of us, which was a source of great delight to us all, and we bore down to her. We soon made her out to be an hermaphrodite brig, under her close-reefed topsails and trysails.

Synonyms

• (two-masted sailing ship): brig-schooner, schooner-brig; (controversial brigantine)