reef

Meaning

Noun

1. A chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying at or near the surface of the water.
2. (Australia, South-Africa) A large vein of auriferous quartz; hence, any body of rock yielding valuable ore.

Verb

1. To take in part of a sail in order to adapt the size of the sail to the force of the wind.
2. (Australia) To pull or yank strongly, especially in relation to horse riding.
3. To move the floats of a paddle wheel toward its center so that they will not dip so deeply.
4. (slang) To manipulate the lining of a person's pocket in order to steal the contents unnoticed.

Adj

Scabby; scurvy.

Synonyms

sandbank

submerged rock

coral reef

cut

shoal

skerry

castrate

cliff

abbreviate

sunken rock

cut short

elevation

foreshorten

headland

lode

lower

promontory

rave

reduce

rock

🪨

abridge

sandbar

sand bar

shallow

shelf

mineral vein

shore

short

shorten

soft

streak

take in

think

🤔

tone down

truncate

vein

amortise

amortize

bring down

cape

Translations

récif

arrecife

Riff

rif

écueil

recife

klip

scogliera

ξέρα

ύφαλος

escull

scoglio

Klippe

escollo

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɹiːf/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: rif

Cognate with Dutch: rif

Cognate with Low German: riff

Cognate with German: Riff

Inherited from Middle English: reef

Cognate with Old English: rift

Cognate with Old English: hrēofla

Cognate with Scots: reif

Cognate with Old High German: riob

Cognate with Icelandic: hrjúfur

In summary

From earlier riff, from Middle English rif, from Old Norse rif (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Germanic *ribją (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rebʰ- (“arch, ceiling, cover”). Dutch rif (“reef”), Low German riff, reff (“reef”), German Riff (“reef, ledge”) are also borrowed from Old Norse. Doublet of rib.