• n. 暗礁；[地质] 矿脉；收帆
• vt. 收帆；缩帆
• vi. 缩帆；收帆

来自中古英语 rif,礁，来自 Proto-Germanic*ribja,肋骨，礁，来自 PIE*rebh,覆盖，拱顶，词源 同 rib.引申词义帆，船帆。

reef

reef: English has two words reef, which both come from the same source, but have reached the language via different routes. That source was Old Norse rif ‘rib’, a close relative of English rib. Amongst its metaphorical senses were ‘horizontal section of sail’, which English acquired in the 14th century via Middle Dutch rif as riff, later reef, and ‘underwater ridge of rock’, which came into English in the 16th century via Middle Low German ref. The former was put to verbal use in the 17th century in the sense ‘furl sails’, which may underlie reefer ‘marijuana cigarette’ [20] – perhaps a ‘furled’ cigarette.
=> rib

reef (n.1)

"rock ridge underwater," 1580s, riffe, probably via Dutch riffe, from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse rif "ridge in the sea; reef in a sail," literally "rib" (see rib (n.)).

reef (n.2)

"horizontal section of sail," late 14c. (mid-14c. in rif-rope), from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse rif "reef of a sail," probably a transferred use of rif "ridge under the sea; rib" (see rib (n.) and compare reef (n.1)). German reff, Swedish ref, Norwegian riv, Danish reb likely all are from the Old Norse word.

reef (v.)

1660s, "take in, roll up" (as one would a section of a sail on a ship), from reef (n.2). Related: Reefed; reefing.

1. A coral reef is built by the accretion of tiny, identical organisms.

珊瑚礁是由许多相同的微生物不断堆积而成。

来自柯林斯例句

2. the multifarious life forms in the coral reef

珊瑚礁上的多种生命形式

来自《权威词典》

3. The ship and its crew were lost on the reef.

那条船及船员都触礁遇难了.

来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4. Waves mountain - high broke over the reef.

滔天巨浪盖过礁石.

来自《简明英汉词典》

5. The ship was wrecked on a coral reef.

这条船在珊瑚暗礁上撞毁了.

来自《简明英汉词典》